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Chamber and committees

Health, Social Care and Sport Committee

Healthcare in remote and rural areas

The Health, Social Care and Sport Committee is undertaking an inquiry into remote and rural healthcare in Scotland.

Data from the National Records of Scotland indicates that most people in Scotland live in large urban areas and accessible small towns.

As at mid-2021, the data also showed:

  • 12% of the population (660,901 people) lived in accessible rural areas
  • 1.6% of the population (299,115 people) lived in remote and rural areas

Unique challenges

People in remote and rural areas face unique challenges when it comes to accessing health and social care. As such, the Scottish Government has made a number of policy commitments to meet the health and social care needs of people living in remote and rural areas.

Call for views (closed)

Key issues consultation

Over summer 2023, the committee asked stakeholders and members of the public about the key issues and challenges they face with accessing healthcare in remote and rural areas.

Read the responses to the key issues consultation

Rural healthcare policies

The Committee asked stakeholders what policies and actions would be most effective in addressing the issues people face when accessing healthcare in remote and rural areas.

This call for views was open to anyone who uses healthcare services or works in the health and social care sector or has views on remote and rural healthcare.

The call for views closed on 20 October 2023.

Read the responses on Citizen Space

Read the summary of responses to the call for views (2MB, pdf) posted 07 December 2023

Engagement

On 30 January and 6 February 2024 the Committee held informal online engagement events to gather further information for its Remote and Rural Healthcare inquiry. The Committee heard from participants representing local patient campaign groups as well as rural GPs and multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs).

Read the notes from the informal engagement session on 30 January (130KB, pdf) posted 10 May 2024

Read the notes from the informal engagement session on 6 February (136KB, pdf) posted 10 May 2024

On 13 and 14 May 2024, the Committee undertook a visit to Skye to hear from staff, stakeholders, and local patient groups about issues and challenges people face with accessing healthcare in remote and rural areas. Members visited Broadford Hospital and Broadford Medical Practice as well as engaging with third sector organisations and service users in Portree.

Committee report

The Committee published its report on 7 October 2024.

Read the Committee's report on healthcare in remote and rural areas

Correspondence

The Committee has sent and received the following correspondence during the inquiry:

Healthcare in remote and rural areas

Letter from the HSCS Convener to the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care following his giving evidence on 21 May, 28 May 2024

SAS follow up

Letter from the Scottish Ambulance Service following their giving evidence on 12 December 2023, 22 January 2024

Primary Care Directorate follow up

Letter from the Primary Care Directorate following their giving evidence on 21 November, 19 December 2023

National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care

Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care to the HSCS Convener concerning the establishment of the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care, 5 September 2023