Rural Grand Rounds

Rural Grand Rounds

Background 

The Rural Grand Rounds provide a platform for healthcare professionals from different rural areas of Scotland to connect, share experiences, and discuss clinical cases and challenges. They were established after a discussion between a couple of rural doctors who felt it would be helpful to share learning and interesting cases between the rural general hospitals.  Caithness General hosted the first meeting in March 2021.  Since then, the host site role has rotated through the following hospitals:  

• Balfour in Orkney 
• Gilbert Bain in Shetland 
• Belford in Fort William 
• Lorn and Isles in Oban 
• Western Isles  
• MacKinnon Memorial in Skye and  
• Galloway community hospital.    

Rural GPs and the Emergency Medical Retrieval Service have also hosted sessions.  

Description 

The rural grand rounds now form a component of the regular teaching schedule for several of the participating rural hospitals. They enable the transfer of knowledge between sites and provide resilience to the teaching programme for resident doctors.  

The topics for each session are usually clinical cases with interesting learning points including atypical presentations of pathology, major trauma in rural environments and the challenges of transferring sick patients. 

Over the past two years the Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh has supported the rural grand rounds. Its speakers have has delivered sessions on topics such as hyponatraemia (a lower-than-normal level of sodium in the bloodstream) as well as an update on rural medicine in Iceland.  

Changes from November 2024 

Building on the success of the rural grand rounds format NHS Education for Scotland’s (NES) Rural and Remote Credential Team (part of the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care) will now run these online events. By taking on the role of coordinator NES will support their continued growth and development and enable the learning and exchange of knowledge between rural clinicians in Scotland. 

Dr Pauline Wilson, Associate Postgraduate Dean Rural and Remote Credential, NES said: 

“The rural grand rounds provide a chance to network with other remote and rural colleagues and share medical knowledge and best practices tailored to the unique challenges of rural healthcare. Additionally, they foster a sense of community and collaboration among rural healthcare professionals, enhancing support and resource-sharing to improve patient outcomes.” 

To find out more and how to register for a session please visit Rural Grand Rounds | Turas | Learn or email nes.ruralremotecredential@nhs.scot.  

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