Parliamentary Inquiry - The National Centre has managed to run two very good sessions in the latest stage of the parliamentary inquiry into rural health and care: one on mental health and one on social care. Once the minutes are completed they will be published on the website. The next sessions are on international perspectives and if you would like to know more please send me an email.
Local Covid Dashboard – Our work with Nuffield to develop a local covid dashboard is gathering pace. It is beginning to reveal some powerful issues in the context of rural disadvantage including more significant rates of delayed elective surgery in rural areas. It should be published in the next month or so.
Rural Proofing Toolkit – The rural proofing toolkit is almost ready to launch. We’re aiming for November. In the meantime we are beginning to test it in prototype form in a number of settings. If you would like to know more or perhaps even get involved just drop me an email at the above address.
Collaborations – The National Centre is in detailed discussions with a number of well-know health and care bodies about formal collaborations. These will provide us with an opportunity to widen our influence and impact. We hope to announce the first of these in October.
RSN Conference – I am pleased to report that we had a very successful health day at the RSN conference – Sian Griffiths (Covid) and Debbie Freak (Rural Systems) who are National Centre Board Members both presented along with Michelle Howard from East Lindsey District Council, who outlined the really exciting plans for the Campus for Future Living – a health and technology hub on the Lincolnshire Coast in Mablethorpe. Presentations from all the speakers will be available through the Rural Services Network.