Committee publication · Correspondence · 20 May 2026
Correspondence from the Department of Health and Social Care relating to rural proofing policies, dated 9 January 2026
Summary
Ashley Dalton MP responds to the EFRA Committee's December 2025 inquiry on rural proofing in health and social care policy. The Department of Health and Social Care outlines its approach to incorporating rural considerations—including telehealth investment, flexible workforce models, and funding adjustments—while acknowledging low uptake of rural proofing training and committing to improve staff awareness and skills.
Key findings
- Rural areas house one-fifth of England's population and 500,000 registered businesses; rural policy outcomes are affected by economies of scale, distance, sparsity and demography.
- Department has applied rural proofing to NHS Long-Term Plan (telehealth and broadband support), social care (flexible workforce models), mental health (outreach clinics), and public health campaigns with adjusted messaging for rural populations.
- Uptake of 'Understanding Rural Areas' civil service learning module has been low; no additional departmental training on rural proofing is currently offered.
- From 2024/25 to 2028/29, places with significant rural populations will see average Core Spending Power increase of £12.7 million (4.4%); Adult Social Care Relative Needs Formula now includes Remoteness Adjustment.
- Department reports 40,000 additional children and young people receiving NHS mental health support in first 12 months of government; Mental Health Support Teams rollout to reach full national coverage by 2029.
Tone
ProceduralTopics
Key actors
Ashley Dalton MP, Alistair Carmichael MP, Department of Health and Social Care, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, NHS England, Integrated Care Systems, Lord Darzi, Office for National Statistics
Notable line
“… rural proofing ensures that these areas receive fair and equitable policy outcomes.”
Key Quotes
“Rural areas are home to around one-fifth of England's population and half a million registered businesses.”
“Rural health inequalities are exacerbated by significant barriers to accessing services due to populations often being geographically dispersed, and this is often compounded by a lack of transport options.”
“The take up for the 'Understanding Rural Areas' course on Civil Service Learning has been low.”
“From 2024/25 to 2028/29, places with a significant rural population will see an average Core Spending Power increase of £12.7 million”
“In the first 12 months of this government, we have seen an additional 40,000 children and young people receiving NHS mental health support …”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗