Annual Rural Report 2004

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Annual Rural Report 2004

Improving access to high quality services

We are encouraging local authorities to protect and develop rural services through effective community planning, and by finding new and innovative ways of involving their local communities and developing new multi-functional facilities. Health care is a particular challenge but we are exploring new and creative ways of delivering services, as well as supporting professionals to work in rural communities. Improved rural transport is being supported through road investment, support to subsidise lifeline air and ferry routes and through community-led initiatives.

What we have achieved:

  • We have continued to promote "joined-up" service delivery between local authorities, health boards, other public bodies and the private and voluntary sectors. Community Planning Partnerships are now in place in all areas and are working closely with Local Rural Partnerships to ensure that the particular needs and circumstances of rural communities are taken into account when planning the delivery of services.
  • We are learning from experiences elsewhere in Europe and are working in partnership on the Northern Periphery Programme Deserve Project to explore rural service delivery with colleagues in Finland, Sweden and Iceland.
  • The Argyll and Bute 3IP project was the only UK entry to receive an award at the eEurope Awards, held at the e-Government Conference in Italy during July 2003. The project received a runners-up award and an honourable mention at the ceremony. The project which was awarded 416,496 from the Scottish Executive's Modernising Government Fund developed a network of Servicepoints, fitted with the latest state of the art ICT equipment to bring together all public services under one roof to provide a complete one-stop-shop.
  • In the Highlands & Islands and the South of Scotland, the Pathfinder Project aims to deliver pervasive, affordable broadband services by aggregating public sector demand as a means of stimulating the market. The Executive is currently in discussion with local authority partners about the next steps in moving the project forward.
  • In November 2003, the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care announced a review of NHS dental services in Scotland, with the publication of the consultation document Modernising NHS Dental Services in Scotland.
    The consultation will help shape the development of modernised, responsive dental services designed to meet the diverse needs of the different communities throughout Scotland. A range of measures have been introduced to support the development of a suitably trained dental workforce, including the proposed establishment of an outreach training centre in Aberdeen. In November 2003 the Deputy Minister for Health and Community Care announced the introduction of several new measures to assist recruitment and retention, including the doubling of the Remote Area allowance to 6000 by the Executive from April 2004. To further support existing provision, Scottish Ministers have approved 42 new salaried posts in areas of need throughout the rural Scotland and have facilitated both the establishment of new dental practices and the expansion of existing dental facilities throughout Scotland through capital grants funded from the Scottish Dental Access Initiative.
  • NHS 24, which is central to the Executive's vision of a 21st-century NHSScotland, first went live in Aberdeen in May 2002. The service now covers over 55% of the people of Scotland. The service will have rolled-out across the whole of the country by the end of 2004.
  • 2003 saw the end of the formal 2-year Family Health Nursing pilot and the presentation of the findings of the independent evaluation at an international conference in October. The pilot sought to develop a different approach to community nursing services that might be more sustainable in remote and rural areas. The model devised by WHO Europe has been successfully piloted in Orkney, Western Isles and parts of Highland.
  • Pilot projects have been set up in two rural health boards in order to improve access to healthcare for those in our poorest communities. NHS Argyll & Clyde and NHS Tayside are each receiving 0.5 million in 2004-05 to look at ways of addressing such issues as access to treatment for major diseases like chronic heart disease and the uptake of screening and prevention services.
  • In order to better understand the needs of rural communities and seek creative ways of addressing them, the Remote and Rural Areas Resource Initiative (RARARI) commissioned the UK Sector Skills Council, Skills for Health, to map the competencies required to provide a health service to a remote and rural community. The project, based on field work in Borders, Argyll and the Western Isles, will result in a map of the range of skills required to service a remote community and was launched in April 2004. This will provide a basis to inform future skill mix and development needs, promoting the sustainability of remote and rural primary care services.
  • We have supported 142 rural community transport projects through the Rural Community Transport Initiative and over 400 new and enhanced bus services through the Rural Transport Fund. New RCTI projects starting in April 2004 include five in the Highlands, one in the Western Isles, one in Shetland, one in Argyll and Bute and two in Dumfries & Galloway. Further projects will start in October 2004. We have provided 1.5 million between 2003-06 to pilot demand responsive transport services in rural areas with early projects already underway in Aberdeenshire and the Angus Glens. Further DRT projects are expected to start in Argyll and Bute and North East Fife in autumn 2004.
  • We have helped to maintain a viable network of rural petrol stations by providing funds to 56 stations through the Rural Petrol Stations Grants Scheme. We have provided 1.5 million between 2003-06 to pilot demand responsive transport services in rural areas with early projects being underway in Aberdeenshire and the Angus Glens.
  • We have made significant investment in roads between May 2003 to April 2004. Several projects have been delivered which will benefit rural areas including construction of 6.7km of new single carriageway on the A830 Fort William to Mallaig road (13 million); dualling of 13.7km on the A1 from Haddington to Dunbar (39 million); introduction of a 2.2km climbing lane at Newtongarry (4 million). On the A9, two schemes currently under construction in the Kingussie area will provide 2.1km of guaranteed overtaking between Ralia and Nuide Farm
    (2.9 million) and 1.8km near Loch Insh (2.3 million).
  • We have provided record levels of support for Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd which operates 10 airports in the Highlands and Islands. Following the development of new terminals at Inverness, Kirkwall and Stornoway, passenger numbers at all HIAL airports have increased from 818,871 in 2001 to 915,203 in 2003 (an increase of almost 12%); and at Inverness from 371,009 in 2001 to 464,520 in 2003 (an increase of 25%). We are confident that the strong upward trend will continue.
  • We are continuing to provide financial subsidy to the lifeline air services to Campbeltown, Tiree and Barra from Glasgow International Airport. In March, the Executive announced that fares on these routes would be up to 30% cheaper than in the past. Through the Executive's Interim Route Development Fund, which was set up to encourage the establishment of new direct air routes from Scotland, new routes have been introduced from the Highlands & Islands.
  • Improvements to Scotland's canal systems are being funded by the Executive through British Waterways to improve access for boats, cyclists and walkers. 2.2 million is being spent to improve towpaths on the Forth & Clyde and Crinan Canals, and improvements to gates on the Caledonian Canal.

CASE STUDIES

The Food Train

The Food Train provides a low-cost shopping delivery service and much needed social contact for the elderly, housebound and disabled in Dumfries & Galloway. The service was initially launched in Dumfries and proved so successful that it has been gradually rolled-out across the Wigtown West, Mid Galloway, Annandale and Eskdale areas of Dumfries & Galloway. The Better Neighbourhood Services Fund has awarded the Food Train a grant that will contribute toward the further expansion of the service.

Volunteers visit customers houses and collect shopping lists and take them to the shops were they are prepared for delivery. The volunteers then pick up the shopping and deliver it to the customer's house on a nominated day. Shopping can be unpacked and stored if the customers wish. The Food Train makes sure that the shopping requirements of older, housebound or disabled people are delivered to their home, on a weekly basis, and also increases the limited social contact experienced by many.

The Food Train

The Food Train

Open University Degree Course in Pre-registration Nursing and Midwifery Education

An Open University programme providing distance learning for healthcare support workers in remote and rural areas has recently been launched as part of the initiative to increase student nurse intake in Scotland. Limited public transport and lengthy commuting times are major obstacles for those in remote communities wanting to attend university. This is often impractical and costly and prevents a large group of people from accessing further education.

The Open University programme not only allows these people to access further education but also supports the workforce needs of remote and rural Scotland by offering healthcare support workers in these areas the opportunity to undertake this programme and train to be a registered nurse whilst remaining in employment.

36 people commenced the Open University course in February 2004. The programme is undertaken over the course of 4 years and students exit with a diploma or degree upon completion.

Community Transport & Social Inclusion on
Barra & Vatersay

The Western Isles' voluntary organisation, "Voluntary Action Barra
& Vatersay" (VABV), have received funding through the Rural Community Transport Initiative to provide community transport services on the islands of Barra & Vatersay.

Having consulted local people on their transport needs, VABV run a wide, and ever-expanding, range of well-supported services, which are complementary to the existing public transport provision. These include door-to-door trips to shopping and medical facilities, aimed particularly at meeting the needs of disabled, elderly and frail people, and other daytime services enabling easy access to education and training opportunities. They also provide transport in response to the specific needs of local community groups, such as Lunch Clubs, Pensioners' Clubs and the Alzheimer's Society.

With no alternative public transport available after 5pm, VABV's evening transport services are especially popular with people of all ages. These have improved access to social facilities, such as the cinema, and encouraged participation in disability sport activities and attendance at the local youth café and youth club.

Community Transport and Social Inclusion on Barra and Vatersay

Community Transport and Social Inclusion on Barra and Vatersay

Catch IT Bus

The Catch IT mobile bus is an innovative means of delivering high speed computer access to remote rural communities. The initiative took to the roads of South Lanarkshire in the summer of 2003 and has proved popular in a number of rural villages in the region. Since its launch, over 140 people have ventured aboard the bus to learn more about the internet, seek free information and advice and undertake basic IT training.

The bus is similar in size to a library van and contains eight trainee workstations and one training PC, all with easy access to the internet and scanner and printer facilities. A range of software is available, from office packages to gardening and interior design. Support is provided by a full time project officer, funded through the Business Gateway and a full- time IT tutor from South Lanarkshire College. Feedback from users has been very encouraging and the bus is now well established as a valuable community resource.

The project cost around 130,000 to set up, with the Scottish Executive's Rural Challenge Fund, South Lanarkshire Council and Scottish Enterprise having funded the capital costs of the vehicle and set up expenses.

The bus will move to new locations in 2004, and include communities in Biggar, Thankerton, Coalburn and Pettinain. In the longer term, organisers are considering introducing evening sessions, to enable school children to benefit from the service.

IT Bus

IT Bus

Orkney play@home

This innovative programme establishes good health through exercise early in life. A series of three books for children aged 0-5 years encourages the enjoyment of physical activity from the first day of life. A complementary part of this project is the provision of baby massage classes for all parents participating in the programme. Training has been provided to staff to help them deliver and promote all aspects of this project. It is a project being delivered in partnership between the Orkney Childcare Partnership, the NHS Orkney Health Promotion Service, the Orkney Pre-School Play Association Key Worker Project and health visitors.

Leven Opportunity Centre

In Fife, the Leven Opportunity Centre operates a "one stop learning and careers shop" in partnership with the local authority and the voluntary sector. By housing different services for education, careers advice and skills development under one roof, those who use the service benefit from a seamless service best suited to their own needs and personal development. Many of those using the centre have gained a wide range of qualifications and have gone on into employment.

South Lanarkshire Opinionmetres

In South Lanarkshire the Community Planning Partnership is developing innovative ways to involve and engage with their communities. The Partnership has used Opinionmetres, which are computer-based keypads that can be installed at various locations to access those communities who are harder to reach. A list of questions is presented on screen and respondents are asked to answer them. One of the main benefits of this system is that it can be installed in locations where people who might not normally respond to surveys congregate, such as pubs, clubs and shops. This is particularly useful in small towns and villages where these can be made easily accessible.

The Core

In Dumfries & Galloway, "The Core" is a project which is designed to create a "Community One-Stop-Shop". The Council, working in partnership with the NHS, CVSs, Health Councils, the Police and Fire Service and Dumfries & Galloway Housing Partnership have developed an access point for all web-based information about public and voluntary services across the region.

Page updated: Wednesday, May 17, 2006