Addressing the challenges facing rural general practice
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What is the Rural Forum and what role does Dr Emma Watts play in it?
Hello and welcome to Talk in General Practice, the podcast from GP Online. I'm Emma Bauer, the editor of GP Online. Today on the podcast I'm speaking to GP Dr Emma Watts, who's a dispensing doctor based in Surrey and the chair of the RCGP's Rural Forum about the distinct challenges facing rural general practice. In this conversation, Emma discusses how urban-centric policies, mounting financial constraints and operational pressures are driving rural practice closures. She also highlights hidden health inequalities in rural areas such as homelessness, and explains why the government's proposed framework for a neighbourhood NHS fails to consider the reality facing remote, rural and dispensing practices.
And we discuss the Rural Minds Project, an innovative training programme using virtual reality headsets to support mental health in UK farming communities. GP Online has joined forces with five essential healthcare resources to create the MIMS Healthcare Network. Since 1959, our Haymarket healthcare titles have supported primary and secondary care audience across the UK through individual publications and specialist events. We're now entering an exciting new era with the launch of MIMS healthcare network. Linking together our six leading media brands to serve the entire healthcare community as one. The MIMS Healthcare Network covers GP Online, GP Business, MIMS, MIMS Learning, MIMS Learning Live and MIMS Pharma.
By bringing together these resources, we aim to provide a seamless experience for all healthcare professionals and the organisations that support and supply the UK health sector. The MIMS Healthcare Network, covering every aspect of primary care. For more information about our subscriptions, visit gponline.com forward slash subscribe. I'm really pleased to be joined on the podcast now by Dr. Emma Watts, who is a dispensing doctor based in Shear in the Surrey Hills and the chair of the RCGP's Rural Forum. She's been working as a rural GP for the past 18 years and is passionate about providing continuative care and addressing rural inequality. And she's here today to talk about some of the issues and challenges facing GPs and GP practices in rural areas.
Thanks so much for coming on the podcast, Emma. Thank you for inviting me. You're the chair of the Royal College of GPs Rural Forum. Can you explain a bit about what the forum does and what your role involves?
So yes, I am the chair of the RCGP's Rural Forum. That is a special interest group within the college. I joined the Rural Forum Steering Group some years ago because of my concerns about rural representation within the college and maybe inadequate representation in national policy. I'm pretty passionate about it, so um I became chair. I really aim to ensure that all college policy is passed through uh the rural forum to make sure it's rural proofed. I'm really passionate about championing rural general practice needs. Rural patients have different needs requiring recognition, so current policies don't adequately address the rural rural perspective. And the rural forum does provide this valid perspective that I believe should shape all college policy.
Can you explain a bit about where you practice as a GP? Because I obviously I said you're in Surrey and and when people think about rural general practice, they probably think about the wilds of Wales or northern Scotland or the very north of England. But you do work in quite a rural area, don't you? And what and what are some of the challenges you face working as a rural GP?
So compared to my counterparts in places like Orkney or the Highlands in Scotland, it does feel that it's a bit lame to say that I'm rural when we're in the Surrey Hills. But essentially, if you're in a rural area and it's really hard to access care, because there's no bus links, there's no ability to get to your to your hospital or to your GP surgery, then rurality creates a problem. So I am based in the Surrey Hills in Shear. We are in a rural village setting covering fifty square miles, which is dotted with villagers.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the Rural Forum and what role does Dr Emma Watts play in it?
0:02–4:33
2
How do distance and limited transport affect patient access to rural GP services?
4:33–7:58
3
What are the benefits and challenges of continuity of care in rural practice?
7:58–11:51
4
How does the Rural Minds Project use virtual reality to support farmer mental health?
11:51–16:50
5
Why does the government’s neighbourhood NHS framework overlook rural and dispensing practices?
16:50–20:56
6
What financial pressures do dispensing GP practices face, especially regarding dispensing fees and clawback?
20:56–24:30
7
How can recruitment, retention, and training be improved for GPs in remote areas?
24:30–27:23
8
What solutions could make rural health policy ‘rural‑proofed’ and prevent practice closures?
27:23–30:08
Speakers
1 identifiedMore from Talking General Practice
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