How it will ensure that health practitioners will commit to working in rural areas.

It is a matter of personalchoice on the part of the health care professional whether or not they wish towork in a remote and rural area of Scotland. Local health systems determinelocal needs and NHSScotland has a workforce planning framework in place toassist NHS boards in planning ahead for the workforce they need and the actionsthey require to take to deliver future services for patients.
A range of policies,including incentive schemes, are in place which support recruitment and retentionin remote and rural areas. Improved educational support for rural health careis being developed and implemented which will make rural training moreaccessible and attractive.
In addition; the Governmentis committed to supporting and developing Rural General Hospitals, building onthe work of the National Remote and Rural Steering Group, which will encouragehealth practitioners to work in rural areas. A core set of services to bedelivered in those areas will be published in late summer 2007.
A tripartite group made upof the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties in Scotland;NES; and the National Remote and Rural Steering Group is developing appropriatetraining pathways for doctors in remote and rural areas, including Rural GeneralHospitals. That group is also defining the skills and competencies required,scoping educational requirements, including appropriate curricula andidentifying the infrastructure for continuing professional development. TheRemote and Rural Steering Group believes that the provision of such training,tailored to the specific needs of remote and rural health services, willprovide a sustainable solution to the issue of medical workforce supply whichhas been problematic for rural areas in the past.