This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Health service improvements in the Highlands
07/11/2005
A new Centre for Telehealth and a Virtual School of Rural Healthcare will be set up within three years, the Convention of the Highlands and Islands was told today.
Bother services were recommended by the Kerr Report into NHS provision, and included in the Executive's response 'Delivering for Health'
Deputy Health Minister Lewis Macdonald said the Centre for Telehealth would allow patients to get easier and faster diagnosis while the virtual school would play a vital role in providing high quality training in remote and rural areas.
He said said:
"Just last month 'Delivering for Health' set out how we intend to develop our health service to deal with the effects of ageing population.
"That trend will be particularly marked in some parts of the north of Scotland. As a result health services in the area need to lead the way in adapting services to meet changing needs.
"There will be a much greater focus on community care, patients will see more diagnosis, day care surgery, more rehabilitation and outreach within the community. Community hospitals will have a greater role in this, as will new Community Health Centres.
"We recognise that health services in remote and rural areas will differ from those in urban centres. We will develop training and career pathways for remote and rural medicine which recognises the very different nature of practice in these areas.
"Technology has a vital role to play in remote and rural areas. The Virtual School of Rural Healthcare will play a crucial role in the development and training of the rural workforce. While the Scottish Centre for Telehealth will allow easier and faster diagnosis and spread best practice in the use of telemedicine links.
"This is an exciting time for the health service in Scotland. We have the opportunity to build a service that reflects the way Scots live and where they live."
In May this year an expert group led by Professor David Kerr set out a detailed set of recommendations on how the health service could be shaped over the coming decades.