A TEAM of experts are aiming to transform the lives of people in rural Scotland who face complicated journeys to reach healthcare in a new research project.
Researchers at Edinburgh Napier University (ENU) and Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU) will collaborate with community interest company Scottish Rural & Islands Transport Community for the work.
Entitled Improving Net Zero Transport Access to Healthcare in Rural Scotland, the work will probe the experience of people living in rural areas who face long journeys to reach healthcare appointments and how barriers differ across the country, as well as exploring sustainable solutions.
Through surveys and workshops, the team of experts will examine how cuts to NHS patient transport and local networks, as well as unintentionally disruptive decarbonisation measures, may have affected healthcare inequality.
Professor Pat Langdon, director of ENU’s Transport Research Institute and a project lead, said: “People who live in rural parts of Scotland are often relying on difficult, high-carbon, multi-leg journeys to reach essential healthcare, such as cancer treatment or dialysis.
“At the same time, patients who are forced to miss appointments through complex or poorly designed transport systems create further strain on the NHS.
“Currently there is a disparate mix of systems across the country, including community transport, private hire taxis, and even complex routes involving road, ferry and air connections.
“We hope that by understanding the challenges in different rural areas, we can help to identify equitable grassroots solutions for both the short and long term."
It is among the latest round of research to be supported by Scotland Beyond Net Zero, a collaboration between Scotland’s universities which harnesses academic expertise to meet Scotland’s climate emergency targets.
Co-lead Dr Nick Davies, senior lecturer in tourism and events at GCU, said: “We recognise that the transport and healthcare sectors often operate in silos, so our project makes a vital step towards better integration in planning more effective services for rural communities.
“We also acknowledge that the issues in rural Scotland vary from place to place – it’s a large and diverse geographical area – and therefore we take a place-based approach to understanding the problem.
"Our project will create a foundation for larger research projects and future project development. We will identify pathways to ensure rural and island residents have equal access to healthcare, and a just transition to net zero for rural areas of Scotland.”
