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PE1890: Find solutions to recruitment and training challenges for rural healthcare in Scotland

Petition Summary

Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to find ways for localised training, recruiting and retaining healthcare staff in difficult to recruit positions in Scotland.

Petitioner: Maria Aitken on behalf of Caithness Health Action Team

Status: Closed

Date published: 19 August 2021

Click here for the full petition

SPICe briefing (255.1KB, pdf) (255KB, pdf) posted 01 March 2022

Committee meetings

3 November 2021: The Committee agreed to write to NHS Highland. It also agreed to consider this petition alongside PE1845 at a future meeting.

Official Report of Meeting 3 November 2021

4 May 2022: The Committee agreed to invite the Petitioner to provide evidence at a future meeting.

Official Report of Meeting 4 May 2022

8 June 2022: The Committee took evidence from petitioner Maria Aitken and agreed to consider the evidence heard at a future meeting.

Official Report of Meeting 8 June 2022

15 June 2022: The Committee agreed to refer the petition to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee, in the context of that committee’s wider consideration of health inequalities.

Official Report of Meeting 15 June 2022

Written Submissions

PE1890/A: Scottish Government submission of 17 September 2021

PE1890/B: Petitioner submission of 27 September 2021

PE1890/C: Edward Mountain MSP submission of 2 November 2021

PE1890/D: NHS Highland submission of 15 February 2022

PE1890/E: Edward Mountain MSP submission of 3 May 2022 (53.6KB, pdf) (54KB, pdf) posted 03 May 2022

PE1890/F: Edward Mountain MSP submission of 1 June 2022 (71.8KB, pdf) (72KB, pdf) posted 01 June 2022

Committee Meetings

25 October 2022: The Committee considered the following petitions—PE1915: Reinstate Caithness County Council and Caithness NHS Board. The Committee agreed to close the petition. PE1845: Agency to advocate for the healthcare needs of rural Scotland; PE1890: Find solutions to recruitment and training challenges for rural healthcare in Scotland; and PE1924: Complete an emergency in-depth review of Women's Health services in Caithness & Sutherland. The Committee agreed to write to rural health boards seeking evidence on the issues raised within the petitions before inviting the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to give oral evidence to the Committee.

Official Report of Meeting 25 October 2022

17 January 2023: The Committee took evidence from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care. The Committee agreed to consider the evidence heard at a future meeting.

Official Report of Meeting 17 January 2023

21 February 2023: The Committee considered the following petitions—PE1845: Agency to advocate for the healthcare needs of rural Scotland; PE1890: Find solutions to recruitment and training challenges for rural healthcare in Scotland. The Committee agreed to close the petitions under Rule 15.7 of Standing Orders on the basis that the Committee would consider the issues raised in them as part of a broader inquiry into remote and rural healthcare, to be considered as part of its future work programme. PE1924: Complete an emergency in-depth review of Women's Health services in Caithness & Sutherland. The Committee agreed to defer further consideration of the petition until after the Best Start North Review has concluded.

Official Report of Meeting 21 February 2023