Rural Advocate Visit: December 2007





Healthcare in Rural Areas

On 10 & 11 December Stuart visited the Fenland area of Cambridgeshire to listen to the views and experiences of residents, patients, family, staff, voluntary groups and organisations about the provision and delivery of healthcare in rural areas.


Stuart will use what he has learnt as part of his day-to day Rural Advocacy work and we’ve also identified some other important actions as a result of the visit:

  • develop a Primary Care Trust (PCT) case study as part of our work on an NHS Review consultation response portfolio

  • produce a film to outline the barriers, enablers and solutions to rural healthcare delivery

  • key messages will inform the briefing for a forthcoming meeting with the Secretary of State for Health Alan Johnson

  • key messages will also inform the briefing for a forthcoming meeting with Lord Darzi at the Department of Health

  • a meeting between Stuart and the Chair of the Improvement Foundation

  • our internal policy teams, including the team on Rural proofing have been briefed on the key messages from the visit

Read the full writeup of the visit


Media Coverage


Press release with the Improvement Foundation and Cambridgeshire NHS Primary Care Trust

Top-level Talks Over Hospital, Hunts Post – 7 December

Warning Over State of Rural Healthcare, Rural Focus - 10 December

Doctor Impressed on Hospital Healthcheck, Cambs Times - 14 December