June Edition of Casebook from the Rural Health and Care Alliance

June 2025 Edition

Welcome to this month's edition of Casebook in which we highlight award winning local authority health and care initiatives and make a shout out for speakers, sponsors and session ideas for the annual National Rural Conference taking place this autumn. We also feature articles on patient needs, worldwide dementia care, farmer aid and emergency care provision. Read on!

RABI Announces FarmersAid

RABI has announced the forthcoming launch of FarmersAid, a pioneering initiative that will provide farmers with vital, real-time trauma guidance to use in the crucial moments following a serious on-farm accident.

Launching in January 2026, the first phase of FarmersAid will centre around a free, easy- to-use smartphone app. The app offers step-by-step instructions for treating the most common life-threatening injuries on farm – such as crush incidents, falls from height, and severe bleeding – enabling users to act fast and effectively before emergency services can reach the scene.

“It’s unacceptable that too many farming families are devastated by what are often preventable tragedies, with lives being lost due to a lack of understanding on how to administer immediate critical care at the scene,” says Alicia Chivers, RABI’s Chief Executive.

Farming remains the most dangerous industry in the UK. Though it employs just 1% of the workforce, it accounts for around 20% of all workplace deaths. On average, 31 people die on British farms each year and thousands more are left with life-changing injuries.

“FarmersAid complements the exceptional work of our colleagues at the Farm Safety Foundation, whose award-winning campaigns and education programme promotes safer attitudes across farming,” Alicia adds. “Unfortunately, serious accidents do still sadly occur and we believe FarmersAid will be a powerful, practical tool that could make the difference between life and death.”

Backed by leading remote and rural medicine experts Professor Cathy Jackson and Professor Stuart Maitland-Knibb, the FarmersAid app is designed to address the crucial ‘Platinum Ten Minutes’- a window where fast action from bystanders can dramatically improve survival and recovery outcomes.

“Emergency services often face delays reaching rural farms. This means the first few minutes are absolutely critical,” said Professor Maitland-Knibb, a Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) consultant. “That’s where FarmersAid can help. It has the power to save countless lives in our farming communities.”

Beyond the digital app, FarmersAid also includes plans for on-farm critical care kits, training pilots, wellbeing referrals and educational outreach programmes throughout the agricultural sector.

The app will be officially launched with a nationwide roadshow and communications campaign throughout 2026, supported by giveaways, printed materials and targeted outreach at farming shows and events across England and Wales.

RABI will be inviting all partners, funders, and farming stakeholders to help support the rollout of FarmersAid. Further information will be shared later this year.

Sharing Opportunities in Worldwide Dementia Care

Recently, the University of Plymouth hosted the National and International Perspectives of Dementia conference, bringing together global experts and community representatives to highlight innovative projects and research aimed at supporting people living with dementia.

Held at Plymouth Argyle’s Home Park and hosted by broadcaster Angela Rippon CBE, the conference showcased a broad range of local, regional, national, and international initiatives that are making a positive impact on dementia care.

A key moment of the event was the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the University of Plymouth and Nanfang College in Guangzhou, People’s Republic of China. This agreement paves the way for future research collaborations and student exchange opportunities. The delegation from Nanfang College also visited University Hospitals Plymouth NHS Trust (UHP), meeting with staff to learn about multidisciplinary approaches to dementia care, dementia-friendly ward initiatives, and the Trust’s commitment to respectful and coordinated care for patients with dementia.

The conference also featured presentations from representatives from Ukraine, Japan, Belgium, and Gibraltar, sharing their experiences and community-led approaches to dementia support. Highlights included demonstrations of patient-centred technologies by Plymouth Science Park’s Health Technology & Innovation Hub, including the use of artificial intelligence as a supportive tool for individuals with dementia and their families.

Angela Rippon and conference organiser Ian Sherriff BEM further raised local awareness by sharing a dementia care video at a halftime event during a Plymouth Argyle football match against Sheffield United.

Reflecting on the importance of the event, Ian Sherriff said:

Over half of people believe that dementia is a normal part of ageing and not something health professionals or the public need to worry about, but it’s a condition that desperately requires more education and research. However, with more support for carers, clinical trials, and education, we can work towards finding treatments, and that’s what the conference is all about.

The conference served as a platform to encourage greater understanding of dementia and to inspire the next generation of health professionals to advance care and research in this field.

The Rural Services Network welcomes the international collaboration and the focus on sharing knowledge and innovative practices that emerged from this event. As rural areas often face unique challenges in delivering dementia care and support, learning from both national and global initiatives will be crucial in shaping more inclusive and responsive care strategies for rural communities.

New Government Plan Aims to Improve Urgent and Emergency Care

The Government has announced a new package of reforms and investment aimed at improving urgent and emergency care services in England. The plan, backed by nearly £450 million, was published by the Department of Health and Social Care, NHS England and Health Secretary Wes Streeting MP.

The measures aim to deliver faster, more appropriate care for patients — particularly during the coming winter period — and to tackle persistent delays in ambulance services and hospital emergency departments (A&E).

Key elements of the plan include:

• Around 40 new Same Day Emergency Care and Urgent Treatment Centres to treat and discharge patients on the same day, avoiding unnecessary hospital admissions.
• Up to 15 Mental Health Crisis Assessment Centres to provide timely specialist care and reduce the number of patients in mental health crisis waiting in A&E.
• Almost 500 new ambulances to be rolled out across the country by March 2026.
• A shift in care delivery from hospital to community settings, to ease demand on A&E departments and hospital beds.

The plan also promotes wider use of:

• Paramedic-led care in the community, enabling ambulance crews to treat patients at home or at the scene.
• Urgent Community Response teams, supporting people at home and reducing avoidable hospital admissions.
• Virtual wards, providing hospital-level care in patients’ homes with the support of technology.

NHS England will ask local health systems to create robust winter plans to ensure readiness and resilience in 2025-26, with regular testing of these plans ahead of the winter period.

The Government estimates that the reforms could result in 800,000 fewer patients waiting more than four hours in A&E this year.

The plan responds to rising demand: since 2010-11, ambulance service usage has increased by 61%, and A&E attendances have nearly doubled. At least one in five people attending A&E do not require emergency care and could be better supported in the community.

Stakeholders from across the NHS and emergency care services welcomed the early announcement of the plan, highlighting its focus on system-wide collaboration, reducing handover delays, and expanding community-based care options.

The Rural Services Network is keen to hear from members on what this plan could mean for rural patients and services, particularly where distance, transport access and service availability present additional challenges.

• What opportunities or gaps do you see in the proposed measures for rural areas?
• How might the plan impact ambulance response times and community care in your localities?

Please share your views with us — your feedback helps shape our advocacy and response.

Patient Partnership Week 2025

The Patients Association is excited to announce the launch of Patient Partnership Week 2025. This week-long programme of free online events will explore how genuine partnership with patients can create a fairer, more responsive and more effective health and care system.

Taking place 30th June - 4th July 2025, the week brings together patients, healthcare professionals and policymakers to explore what good partnership looks like in practice, and why it matters now more than ever. From increasing patient agency to improving access to care and designing digital tools that work for everyone, the sessions will tackle some of the most urgent challenges facing health and care today.

Find out more and book your free places HERE

Whether you’re a patient wanting your voice to be heard, a healthcare professional committed to improvement, or a policymaker looking to create change, Patient Partnership Week 2025 will provide important conversations, fresh ideas and practical steps forward.

National Rural Conference 2025 – Speaker Call

Join us live for RSN’s biggest event of the year – 15 to 18 September

We’re excited to announce that the National Rural Conference 2025 will take place from Monday 15th to Thursday 18th September – and preparations are already in full swing! 

This is RSN’s flagship online event, bringing together rural leaders, service providers, policymakers and community champions from across the country. If you’re passionate about ensuring rural areas are heard and included, this is the week to be there.

Save the date! Booking details will be announced soon.

A look back at last year

Our 2024 conference brought together 655 delegates across four action-packed days. We hosted 30 expert speakers, explored the latest challenges and innovations, and logged over 1,300 hours of rural-focused discussion.

It was our biggest and most dynamic event yet – and 2025 is shaping up to be even better.

What’s coming up this year

The 2025 conference will feature eight themed sessions, each diving into a critical area for rural communities:

Each session is live and interactive – and recordings will not be made available after the event, so we strongly encourage you to attend on the day to take part in real-time discussions and put your questions to our speakers.

Your voice matters – get involved!

This is a member-exclusive opportunity, and we want it to reflect the breadth and depth of our network. So, we’re inviting:

• Speaker suggestions
• Project showcases
• Case studies or initiatives you’d like to present
• Panel participation

If you’ve got something to share – or someone we should hear from – we want to know!

Get in touch with us at: [email protected]

Interested in sponsoring the event?

We also welcome enquiries from organisations looking to support the event through sponsorship. It’s a fantastic opportunity to connect with rural stakeholders and highlight your commitment to thriving rural communities.

Email us at: [email protected] to find out more about our sponsorship packages.

Rural Councils delivering award winning health and care services

The recently help Local Government Chronicle Awards 2025 saw an impressive line-up of council health initiatives with many rural councils shortlisted and scooping awards. 

Staffordshire County Council's "Little Heroes" campaign was Highly Commended at the LGC Awards, recognizing its success in boosting school attendance among primary school pupils. The campaign focuses on encouraging regular attendance and providing emotional health support for Key Stage 1 pupils by promoting the idea of being "Here Everyday, Ready and On time" (HERO). 

The REDI (Research, Evaluation, Development and Improvement) team at Norfolk County Council was also recognised for its works with Parent Champions to support families. Parent Champions are volunteers who share information about local services and opportunities with other parents, helping them navigate the support available. This collaboration aims to improve family well-being and ensure access to the right resources.

Lancashire County Council’s Step-Down Pilot, enhancing mental health hospital discharges and housing solutions was also shortlisted at the Awards. To find out more visit: https://awards.lgcplus.com/2025/en/page/2025-winners

We’d love to hear from you - share what you’re proud of
If you have something, you would like us to feature in a future edition, please let us know by clicking here to send us an email.

Spread the word
If you know of other organisations that you think would benefit from joining the Rural Health & Care Alliance, please click here to email us and let us know.

RURAL SERVICES NETWORK

Up to date news on Health and Care
The Rural Services Network provides a useful source of themed news content and data. Check out the latest news on Rural Access to Health and Care Services and Vulnerability, where you’ll find articles on a diverse range of rural issues affecting rural communities.

Latest from RSN Member Insights
RSN Member Insights is the place to discover the statistics that define communities within our membership.  It is regularly updated with new analyses, and these will be highlighted in the 'What's New' section of the RSN's Weekly Rural Bulletin. The Rural Bulletin also provides a selection of the most rurally topical news items, so do subscribe and encourage your colleagues to subscribe to what is an invaluable weekly periodical.

The Rural Health & Care Alliance is a membership organisation administered by the Rural Services Network on behalf of the National Centre for Rural Health & Care.  Explore the RHCA service below: