These Key Messages are a summary of an hour-long workshop delivered to 80 people on 19th February at The Gathering in Glasgow. The workshop was organised by VHS in collaboration with the Scottish Rural Health Partnership.

Rural Scotland is affected by some very specific challenges to the effective and sustainable delivery of Primary Care. These challenges include a growing elderly population, increasing demand for treatment and care, a dispersed population and issues associated with the supply of the health and social care workforce – all combining to have an impact on Primary Care services. The reform of Primary Care and the new GP Contract aim to mitigate some of these challenges and issues. However, the transformational change that is required in Primary Care cannot be achieved without the third sector playing an active role.
Our workshop aimed to explore the role of the third sector in helping shape the design and delivery of Primary Care and the importance of working in partnership to deliver change.

Read the Key Messages: Key Messages, Future of Primary Care in Rural Scotland

View the presentations: Rural Primary Care Gathering presentations