Rural, remote, and coastal advanced practice
A recent webinar hosted by NHS England’s Centre for Advancing Practice focused on the challenges and opportunities surrounding advanced practice in rural, remote, and coastal settings. The session was led by Julian Barratt, Head of the Centre for Advancing Practice at NHS England, who was joined by representatives from NHS Education for Scotland and the University of the Highlands and Islands.
Addressing Education and Training Gaps
The primary objective of the webinar was to discuss education development opportunities for advanced practitioners in under-resourced areas. Trish Gray from NHS Education for Scotland outlined the efforts to support healthcare practitioners through innovative educational programs. She emphasized the need for tailored resources, highlighting Scotland’s approach of using existing team resources and external contributions to set up a supervision hub for advanced practitioners.
Trish Gray explained that this supervision hub was developed with a cost-effective strategy, utilizing internal resources and seeking support from national health boards. It provides crucial training materials and supervision resources, which have been well-received across the sector. The hub undergoes updates biannually to ensure that the information remains current and useful.
Collaborative Efforts in Rural Healthcare
A notable feature of the discussions was the emphasis on collaboration between different regions and healthcare institutions. Heather Bain and Nicola Carey from the University of the Highlands and Islands shared insights into the challenges faced by practitioners working across geographically isolated areas, such as Orkney and the Highlands. In these regions, healthcare professionals often need to adapt their roles, combining generalist skills with specialist knowledge to meet diverse healthcare needs.
Heidi Jones, currently undertaking rural advanced practice education from NHS Orkney, elaborated on the importance of inter-regional collaboration, citing strong ties with NHS Grampian. She noted that for specialized support, like speech and language therapy or paediatric care, local practitioners could quickly reach out to specialists in Grampian through established agreements, ensuring patients receive timely and comprehensive care. Heidi was joined by Jenna Gettings who works in Highlands, also completing rural advanced practice education, who conveyed her experiences of developing rural advanced practice in a remote Highlands context.
Linking Rural and Urban Healthcare
Questions from participants highlighted the importance of bridging the gap between rural and urban healthcare. For example, an advanced practitioner lead from Northern England, raised concerns about providing equitable support for healthcare professionals in mixed urban and rural regions. The panel acknowledged the distinct challenges of deploying specialist services across vast, sparsely populated areas while still addressing the needs of more densely populated urban centres.
Heidi Jones responded by outlining the strategies used in Orkney to ensure access to advanced physiotherapists and other specialists despite geographical constraints. She emphasized the role of multidisciplinary teams and service level agreements in maintaining high-quality care across regions.
Future Developments and Training Opportunities
Julian Barratt confirmed an expression of interest aimed at gauging interest in a new postgraduate certificate (PGCert) programme for experienced advanced practitioners in remote, rural, and coastal contexts. This initiative seeks to fill a significant gap in advanced practice education and foster skill development tailored to the unique demands of these settings.
Practitioners and those involved in workforce development for advanced practice are encouraged to provide feedback on the potential training program and to share the survey with colleagues. The goal is to better understand the interest in programmes supporting the challenging environments and explore new pathways for professional growth for experienced advanced practitioners working in remote, rural, or coastal areas.
Conclusion
The webinar provided a platform for advanced practitioners to discuss the pressing challenges and potential solutions for advancing practice in rural and remote areas. By sharing regional experiences and collaborative strategies, the event highlighted the critical need for specialised training and support systems to ensure quality healthcare delivery across all settings.
As the NHS continues to adapt to the needs of diverse communities, initiatives like this will play a crucial role in shaping the future of healthcare education and practice in the UK.
