7 May, 2004
The first UK chair of Remote and Rural medicine is to be established in the Western Isles, Scotland  ( Outer Hebrides ) and, currently, it is planned that it will be based at Stornoway, Isle of Lewis. The post will soon be advertised as the holder will be expected to begin work in autumn of 2004 with the first courses being run in the academic year of 2005/2006. The post is a joint venture between the Western Isles NHS Board and the University of the Highlands and Islands, Millenium Institute.

Further information from Iain Maciver Press Officer WINHSB on 0851 708005

13 April, 2004
Urgent demand for action by Defra to deal fairly with Foot and Mouth contractors
The serious matter of around 50 million pounds still owing to contractors since the Foot and Mouth Outbreak in 2001 was raised last week at a meeting with Ben Bradshaw (Parliamentary Under Secrtetary of State for Defra) and Lord Whitty (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defra in the Lords)

Nick Goulding, the chief executive of Forum of Private Business (FPB), and Kery Pollard, Chairman of the All Party Parliamentary Small Business Group (APPSBG), met Defra to discuss the continuing urgency of the contractors' cases.

Nick Goulding presented a file of evidence to the Ministers, and asked them to consider whether the Department had approached contractors with equity and proportionality.     He  said: "We demand that Defra takes immediate action to redress these issues and takes steps to restore public faith in the department.  It needs, above all, to deal fairly with the individual contractors." 

"The catch-all excuse of protecting the public purse and slurring the contractors with unproven allegations of fraud must be stopped immediately."

FPB also recommends an independent review of the payment practices adopted by Defra towards these contractors as necessary in order regain the trust of the rural business community.

Ben Bradshaw undertook to review the evidence and consider FPB's demands.

Unless Defra take urgent and comprehensive action, the next step is to consider the issue at the Better Payment Practice Group. 

Nick Goulding concluded: "As a member of the Better Payment Practice Code, Defra has signed up to support a set of rules which it appears to be ignoring."

FPB's mission is to influence laws and policies that affect private businesses and support members' profitability. FPB is the only small business organisation whose policies are always determined by its members through research, including a unique Referendum postal ballot.

12 April, 2004
Organisations across the UK are being urged to contribute to an online database of good practice that benefits rural health and wellbeing.

The project, which is due to be launched in June, is being developed by the Institute of Rural Health (IRH) with funding support from the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA).

The database will be accessed through a website at www.ruralhealthgoodpractice.org.uk and is designed to be a valuable source of information for all organisations with an interest in rural health and wellbeing.

Co-ordinated by Helen Swindlehurst, Rural Proofing Officer for the IRH, the project has already received several examples of good practice and from voluntary and statutory organisations and is awaiting responses from a host of other contacts, including various charities.

Helen, who can be contacted on helens@rural-health.ac.uk or on Tel: 01686 650800, has written to 150 Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) which serve rural areas, rural community councils, ambulance trusts, Local Health Boards in Wales and Health Boards in Scotland as well as a range of voluntary organisations.

A small working group, comprising representatives from DEFRA, the Department of Health, the IRH, GPs and Primary Care Trusts (PCTs), has defined the criteria for submissions.

The project is looking for examples that demonstrate evidence of need, clear aims and objectives, project governance, stakeholder involvement, an evaluation and audit process, sustainability and rural need.

"The database will disseminate good practice and innovation that works in rural areas so that organisations don't have to reinvent the wheel when looking to develop new services," explained Helen. "It will also encourage networking between organisations.

"So far I have received a good spread of submissions, from transport schemes and community partnerships to projects in GP surgeries and chronic disease management initiatives. The database will have links to all the different organisations whose projects are included as well as links to similar websites."

The online database ties in with the Rural Proofing for Health project that Helen is leading for the Institute of Rural Health . The project is developing an easy to use 'toolkit' to help PCTs consider the rural dimension when planning their health services.

Three English PCTs - South Worcestershire, Mendip and South Lakeland Local Health Group, which is part of Morecambe Bay PCT - have been working in collaboration with the IRH to help develop the toolkit.

Both the IRH and Rural Health Forum hope the toolkit will eventually be used across the country to ensure that the impact of health policies on rural communities is fully considered.

A partnership initiative, the Rural Health Forum works for the health and well-being of rural communities by providing a point of national contact for all involved in rural health and social care and promoting partnerships and information exchange.

Funded by the Department of Health, the Forum is managed by the IRH from its base at Gregynog, near Newtown .