PRESS RELEASE
For immediate release

Tuesday 17 January 2017

TOP speakers have been secured for a major conference to discuss strategies for improving rural healthcare.

Due to take place in London on 28 February, the Rural Health Conference is being organised by the Rural Services Network [1] in partnership with Gov Delivery [2].

Keynote speakers include Martin Powell, Professor of Health and Social Policy at Birmingham University; and Izzi Seccombe, chair of the Local Government Association Community Well-Being Board.

Councillor Seccombe is also leader of Warwickshire County Council.

The conference theme is Prevention through Participation: a Whole Population Approach to Improved Health Outcomes.

It comes amid increasing demands on health and social care services across the UK, often as budgets are tightening. These circumstances, coupled with the distinctive difficulties rural healthcare providers face, make for a uniquely challenging environment.

Rural Services Network chief executive Graham Biggs said: "Pressure on hospitals in particular is seen as unmanageable in the current context of healthcare supply and demand.

"The conference aims to encourage strong leadership and collaboration across the public sector to reduce demand on acute care services and deliver better health outcomes for more citizens."

Speakers will discuss ways that agencies across the public sector can work together to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.

They will also examine ways citizens be empowered to better protect their own health.

Delegates will have the chance to debate and recommend strategies for improving rural health and reducing pressure on services through preventive measures.

The conference is also a networking and learning opportunity for all professionals involved in helping to create healthier communities, and sustainable health services.

In particular it is aimed at those who are designing public health services; building better relationships between policy makers, local councils and health providers.

It also seeks to attract stakeholders who are engaging citizens in ways that inform, educate and prompt behavioural change.

Notes to Editors:

[1] The Rural Services Network is the only non-governmental organisation representing the interests of rural service providers and the communities that they serve. It involves currently some 154 Local Authorities and over 100 other service providers.

The Rural Services Network community networks exceeds 10,000 parish council contacts and over 3,000 local schools. It communicates weekly with around 50,000 through its newsletters and periodicals. For details, visit www.rsnonline.org.uk

[2] Gov Delivery is the only digital communications platform exclusively for government, serving over 1000 public sector organisations around the world. More than 1,800 public sector agencies use Gov Delivery to increase digital engagement, grow their digital audience by cross-promoting content, build communities around data, and create modern training experiences. For details, visit www.govdelivery.com.

Media contact:

Graham Biggs
Rural Services Network
T: 01588 674 922
M: 07966 790197
E: graham.biggs@sparse.gov.uk

David Inman
T:01822 851370 / 01822 614530
E: david.inman@sparse.gov.uk

ENDS