Well served, healthy places
Rural residents should receive the care they need, whatever their circumstances.
At the same time, older people make up a significantly larger proportion of the population of rural areas and this can increase the demands placed on services such as social care.
Health and social care providers do, of course, provide outreach services. However, these need to be properly funded, integrated and responsive to the needs of local communities.
Good neighbour schemes are commonplace and during the beginning of the pandemic they were instrumental in supporting more vulnerable residents. Some of our members also work with service providers locally to offer social prescribing which informally addresses individual’s needs by linking them in with local support and activities. Others run outreach coffee clubs to reduce isolation or operate community transport schemes to make sure vulnerable residents get to appointments.
On aggregate, their work helps to make healthier places by encouraging a culture of neighbourliness and connecting people up with the services and support they need.
- ‘Rural proof’ financial allocations to NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups and Social Care Authorities so they better reflect the care needs faced by an aging rural population
- Require local commissioning decisions to be driven by collaboration and co-operation with local communities and social care providers rather than by large-scale, competitive contracting
ACRE Member Case Study – Feeding Derbyshire
Listen to those involved in Feeding Derbyshire; a scheme coordinated by ACRE Network member Rural Action Derbyshire alleviating food poverty across the county and in particular with harder to reach rural residents