David Stout, director, PCT Network chaired the meeting which gave delegates the opportunity to come together and discuss the common issues facing them and the communities that they served. Some of the common issues that faced all our rural PCT members are listed below.
- Demography and health issues
- Differing challenges between coastal areas, farming
- ommunities, market towns and urban centres
- Fast growing aging population
- Pockets of deprivation and unemployment, often hidden
- Increasing immigrant population in rural areas
- Limited competition and choice of provider for acute and primary care services
- Poor public transport and roads
- Boom in tourism during summer months increasing pressure on services in coastal areas
- Policy challenges
Agreed actions from the day centred around rural PCT members sharing knowledge and information to help them tackle these common issues. The need to increase influence and support from the wider healthcare sector was discussed, in order to help address these issues.
For further information on the meeting please contact Martin Panther at martin.panther@nhsconfed.org