Scotland has more than 70 inhabited islands and has areas with some of the lowest population densities in Europe. Scotland has a population of 5.3 million. The Highlands alone, which takes up 41% of the landmass accounts for the 0.3 million.

Providing health services and social care services to the rural communities of Scotland presents challenges but it can be one of the most rewarding and satisfying careers you can have.

Working as a General Practitioner in a rural area, you’ll be a key member of the community. In fact, as a rural GP you’ll be an important part of the viability of your community, keeping it alive in ways that go beyond what you might think of as traditional health care. It’s a role where you’ll be visible and relied upon in ways that can be just as much about pastoral care as medical and you can find yourself providing lifestyle advice to people who know you just as well as you know them.

It’s a job for people who find people fascinating. As a rural GP, you’ll get more time with with your patients. List sizes tend to be smaller – there are nearly 40 practices with less that 1,000 patients and over 100 with lists of under 2,000. You’ll be able to get a more holistic view of their health needs and get to know them better than in most other jobs in medicine.

You won’t just be treating patients in your surgery. You could be making home-visits over a wide area or you might be running a local community hospital for patients who require more intensive medical input than can be provided in their own home.

Connected to wider NHS

Although some parts of Scotland are pretty remote, you won’t be working in isolation. You’ll be at the heart of decision making for your patients care but you’ll be co-ordinating and collaborating with a whole range of health and social care services.

NHS Scotland services are connected, with extensive referral networks and patient transport services to take patients to the services they need.

It’s rare, but you might be called out in a snowstorm to an acute asthma attack, you might have to arrange an emergency evacuation for a road accident casualty. In cases of trauma you’ll be connected to the Ambulance service and services like the Emergency Medical Retrieval Service (EMRS) and other aero-medical retrieval services.

Mobile phone access can be a problem in some areas but every GP practice is internet connected. Improved connectivity is a Scottish Government priority and is being rolled out across the country.

Education and continuing professional development

Education and CPD is an essential aspect of practice and there’s support to make sure that you’re fully equipped to do all you’re expected do. Scotland has its own dedicated education and training organisation, NHS Education for Scotland (NES). See the Education section for more details.

There’s also BASICS, a charity based in Perth who provide providing training in management of trauma, medical emergencies and major incidents for first responders.

Experience shows that innovations in rural areas can be rolled out to the benefit of the wider NHS and translates well to non-rural settings