Cllr Heather Kidd, Chair of Rural Proofing in Health and Care Task and Finish Group, Shropshire Council

Cllr Geoff Elner, Chair of Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee, Shropshire Council

The Board received the report of the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee Rural Proofing in Health and Care Task and Finish Group which reported on its findings and recommendations following its investigation looking at the options to effectively ‘rural proof’ the amendment or introduction of strategies, plans, policies and service design and provision in health and care in Shropshire which had been adopted by the Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee (HOSC).

Councillors Heather Kidd and Geoff Elner introduced and amplified the report.   Councillor Kidd, who chaired the Task and Finish Group explained that rural proofing in health and care was important because residents’ outcomes and experiences were not great and wished to produce a report that would give equitable outcomes for everybody.  She thanked all officers, partners and witnesses for their evidence which was all available within the report.

Some of the key issues discussed were notable inequalities in provision between rural and urban areas, higher transport costs, poor digital activity, and challenges in recruiting and retaining staff in rural areas. Fourteen recommendations had been made in the report with the first being the full adoption of the rural proofing toolkit into an integrated impact assessment process. Other recommendations included ensuring that rurality and accessibility factors were key considerations when adapting and considering new services or policies, evaluating the impact of digitalisation and recognising the role of the voluntary sector. 

Councillor Elner emphasised the lack of understanding of local issues by those outside the county, his frustration around decisions about where to locate and deliver services being generally based on finance instead of some system of weighting to evaluate alternative methods of delivery.   Councillor Kidd stressed the importance of measuring the impact on residents. Some recommendations had already been adopted, and the HOSC would monitor the effectiveness of service delivery.

The Chief Officer of Healthwatch Shropshire explained that health inequalities and rurality were big issues for them but, being a very small team, did not have capacity to engage with rural communities in the way in which they would like to, but would be happy to work in partnership with other parts of the system to get this lived experience from residents.  She was concerned that there were a number of demographics where people’s voices continued to be unheard.

A brief discussion ensued and the Director of Strategy & Partnerships SATH/Chief Strategy Officer NHS STW (ICB) mentioned planning for the next year and looking at refreshing commissioning intentions and would use this report to inform their priorities. The VCSA representative thanked both Shropshire Council and the Task and Finish Group for recognising the value of the voluntary sector and the challenges it faced.  The importance of addressing lived experiences and digital exclusion was also discussed.

The Board RESOLVED to:

·     Note the report and recommendations of the Task and Finish Group attached at Appendix A.

·     Endorse those recommendations outlined in the report which relate to the Board which were included in section 7 of the report.

·     To receive an update on progress next year.