What plans it has to provide recognition for rural general hospitals; how it will ensure that there are hospitals located outwith Scotland'…

Hospitals in rural areas, including district general hospitals and community hospitals, make an important contribution to the well-being of populations in these areas. Maintaining high quality services in rural hospitals provides a number of challenges to NHS boards, who are responsible for planning sustainable services for the whole population of their area. Many boards are looking at strengthening linkages between rural hospitals and hospitals in larger population centres. The Executive has commissioned Professor David Kerr to undertake a review of NHS services, including how best to provide services in rural areas. The result of Professor Kerr’s work is expected in late spring.
Clearly the recruitment, retention and training of clinical staff is vital to the provision of safe and sustainable services. Several initiatives are under way. These include:
· the establishment of a chair of remote and rural medicine in Stornoway, jointly between Western Isles NHS Board and the University of the Highlands and Islands;
fellowships in remote and rural general practice;
an intercollegiate group of the Scottish Medical Royal Colleges is developing plans for specific training programmes in remote and rural medicine, and
a short-life working group is currently assessing a range of retention initiatives aimed at all categories of staff.