Rural Scottish practices are facing a recruitment crisis which could have an “adverse impact” on safe and effective care, healthcare leaders have warned.
Royal College of General Practitioners Scotland (RCGP Scotland) has called for more opportunities for rural placements during undergraduate placements.
A new policy paper published by the group says that practices in isolated communities are in “urgent” need of review, as issues recruiting staff are reaching dangerous levels.
The report, Being rural reads: “It is an indication of the level of commitment and care that general practice in remote and rural areas, despite the challenges and pressures that they face daily, continue to provide high standards of care within this challenging environment.
“However, it is evident that lack of connectivity in scattered communities, transport issues, GP training opportunities, the fragility of support services, increasing workload, social isolation and family life are all affected by the lack of proper infrastructure which is taken for granted in urban areas.
“The present and the future of providing quality patient care is currently not sustainable for remote and rural communities.”
