The Nuffield Trust and the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges held a seminar in April 2016 to discuss the challenges of delivering high-quality health care in rural and remote settings. The aim of the event was to increase understanding of the issues faced by rural and remote communities and to consider what local and national bodies could do to ensure sustainable services are available for the future.
The workshop brought together representatives from the Royal Colleges, rural systems around the UK, NHS England and NHS Improvement. Case studies from the Cumbria Success Regime and Belford Hospital Fort William were used to inform the discussion. This report identifies the key challenges and some emerging solutions. It also notes some problems that will be difficult to resolve and suggests actions that may be required from a number of national bodies.