RURAL health issues were at the forefront of the debate during a national conference on Friday (18 October).

The national Rural Health Network Conference was organised by the Rural Services Network, and supported by Devon County Council.

Delegates discussed ways of working together to deliver effective rural health services at the Exeter event.

The conference was "highly significant" for Devon, said Andrea Davis, county council cabinet member for health and wellbeing.

"This is an opportunity for us to share ideas to tackle some of the main challenges we face, as well as discussing how we can make best use of the health benefits of living in such a beautiful landscape.

"We have long said that the needs of rural authorities should be recognised in funding settlements, so that we can address some of the issues we have prioritised in our health and wellbeing strategy."

The event was opened by Virginia Pearson, Devon's director of public health.

Dr Pearson said: "We have identified a number of significant challenges across the county, such as deprivation, a growing ageing population and problems with social isolation and social exclusion, and these are compounded with the high cost of housing and issues such as fuel poverty.

"Through collaborative working with our health, district and community partners we are seeking to ensure services have a strong focus on meeting the needs of our rural population."

The day included presentations on the latest developments in rural health delivery and topic based workshops such as Neighbourhood Health Watch, hosted by Dr. Jane Aitken and Jayne Clarke from the Devon Partnership NHS Trust.

A workshop on concerns around rural area health funding was run by Professor Sheena Asthana from Plymouth University.

This conference is the latest event staged by the Rural Health Network, which aims to champion a better deal for rural provision in health services and policy making.

The network will also strive for improved public health and health services delivery through better communications, and develop and share best practice.