2. Recruit and Retain
Recruitment and Retention of Health Care Providers in Remote Rural Areas
Recruitment and Retention of Health Care Providers and Public Service Sector Workers in Remote Rural Areas

3. Objective
Recruit and Retain is a project which sets out to find solutions to the persistent problem of difficulties in recruiting and retaining high quality front line health care providers for the remote rural areas of Northern Europe
Recruit and Retain is a project which sets out to find solutions to the persistent problem of difficulties in recruiting and retaining high quality people to work in the public sector in the remote rural areas of Northern Europe

4. Partners NHS Western Isles Stornoway, Scotland Nuuk, Greenland
Agency for Health Protection
Nuuk, Greenland
FSA Akureyri Hospital
Akureyri, Iceland
Helse Finnmark Health Trust
Finnmark, Norway
County of Västerbotten
Umeå, Sweden

5. Partners NHS Western Isles Stornoway, Scotland
Agency for Health Protection
Nuuk, Greenland
FSA Akureyri Hospital
Akureyri, Iceland
Helse Finnmark Health Trust
Finnmark, Norway
County of Västerbotten
Umeå, Sweden
University of Aberdeen, Centre for Rural Health
Inverness, Scotland
Northern Ontario School of Medicine
Sudbury, Canada
Cooperation and Working Together (CAWT)
Ireland and Northern Ireland

6. Finance Main Project Total Project Budget € 1,752,691
ERDF Intervention Rate for EU Members 40:60
Strategic Project
Total Project Budget
€ 2,997,271
ERDF Intervention Rate for EU Members 25:75

7. To Pursue its Objective Recruit and Retain will obtain information on:
why health care workers are reluctant to consider working in a remote rural area
why health care workers are pleased to be working in a remote rural area
what health care workers require to start working in a remote rural area
what health care workers require to continue working in a remote rural area
why health care workers leave a position in a remote rural area

8. Products and Services
advertise and promote the opportunities for health care workers in remote rural areas and emphasise positive aspects of working in this challenging environment
develop ways to reduce professional isolation by traditional and innovative methods
include a holistic perspective which incorporates “buddying” for new recruits and long term professional mentoring for established employees
generate urban rural partnerships, links with universities, professional training bodies and service providers to underpin the remote rural health care service
find ways to support spouses, social networks, housing, child care and schooling
encourage the development of systems which enable local remote rural populations and local authorities to support their health care service workers

9. Outcomes
The products and services described will be developed, tested, validated and implemented with health care workers, areas of applicability to the public service sector will be identified by the Strategic Management Group.
Business plans for private/public organisations to deliver a service package for the recruitment and retention of health care workers and public service sector workers will be developed.

10. Methods of Working Work Packages Administration – NHS Western Isles
Questionnaire and Data analysis – Iceland
Professional solutions
Sweden
Highland
Social, domestic and environmental solutions
Greenland
Ireland
a) Business plan (health care) – Scotland b) Business plan (public service sector) – Strategic Management Group + NHS Western Isles

11. Methods of Working Workshops Mini workshop Strategic Management Group
Scotland Autumn 2013
Iceland Spring 2012
Greenland Autumn 2012
Norway Spring 2013
Sweden Autumn 2013
Mini workshop
Canada January 2014
Strategic Management Group
Videoconferences
contact

12. Strategic Management Group
Partner
Person 1
NHS Western Isles, Scotland
Andrew Sim 2
Agency for Health and Prevention, Greenland 3
FSA Akureyri Hospital, Iceland
Jon Helgi
Bjornsson 4
Helse Finnmark Health Trust, Norway
Andreas
Hellesø 5
County Council of Vasterbotten, Sweden
Roland
Gustafsson 6
Centre for Rural Health, Inverness, Scotland
David Heaney 7
Northern Ontario School of Medicine, Canada
Roger Strasser 8
Cooperation & Working Together, Ireland
Linda
Saunderson

13. Strategic Management Group
Strategic Management Group Representatives
Will meet at least twice a year at workshops
Strategic Management Coordinator
Reports to Recruit and Retain Steering Committee
Strategic Management Remit
Monitor the core work of Recruit and Retain
Indentify areas of synergy
Take products and services to the public service for evaluation and piloting
Produce a business plan for public service sector workers

15. Final Conference
The Way Forward for Recruiting and Retaining Health Care Workers in Remote Rural Areas
Sweden
Autumn 2013
Solutions to the Problems of Public Service Worker Recruitment and Retention in Remote Rural Areas
Venue to be decided
Spring 2014