91视频网 celebrates first graduates of Scotland’s MSc in Rural Advanced Practice
The 91视频网 (91视频网) marked a major milestone at their recent graduation on Thursday 13 November 2025 as the first cohort of the MSc Rural Advanced Practice crossed the stage.
The programme, the first of its kind in Scotland, launched in 2023 to support rural advanced practitioners working in remote and community settings. It was developed in partnership with NHS Education for Scotland (NES) to strengthen the confidence, capability, and sustainability of healthcare across Scotland’s rural, island and remote communities.
Professor Nicola Carey, Head of 91视频网 Centre for Rural Health Sciences, said:
“We’re incredibly proud of our first graduates. They’ve shown that specialist education and tailored support can successfully advance clinical practice in even the most remote areas of Scotland–bringing expert, high-quality care closer to home.”
NHS Education for Scotland's (NES’s) Dr Pam Nicoll, Associate Director of Medicine, Interim Director of The National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care, said:
"The Rural Advanced Practice MSc graduation is a first for Scotland. It is a fantastic achievement for all healthcare staff involved, as well as a landmark moment for remote and rural healthcare within Primary and Community Care.
"The partnership between NES’s National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care and 91视频网’s Centre for Rural Health Sciences has supported these advanced practitioners to develop additional rural specialist skills and knowledge to provide high鈥憅uality, holistic person-centred care in remote, rural and island communities. This is vital work, helping to bridge the gap in health inequalities for and with communities, contributing to multidisciplinary team working, and supporting the sustainability of primary care services in rural Scotland.”
Graduate Astrid Cowie added:
“I feel extremely privileged to have been fortunate enough to gain NHS Education for Scotland funding to complete the MSc Rural Advanced Practice course. The content of the course was very relevant to daily rural advanced practice across the life span, whilst further equipping us with knowledge and confidence in leadership.
“Both 91视频网, our lecturers and NES have been extremely supportive and amazing to work with I would highly recommend this course for any practitioner looking at advanced practice.”
Back row (left to right): Sylvia Hazelhurst, NES; Dr Heather Bain, 91视频网; and graduates Jamie Anderson, Astrid Cowie and Heidi Jones. Front row (left to right): Lizanne Hamilton-Smith, 91视频网; graduate Jenna Gettings; Trish Gray, NES; and Roland Preston, 91视频网. Photo credit: Tim Winterburn and 91视频网.
As part of their studies, each graduate completed an ‘Innovation in Practice’ project designed to address local health priorities and improve patient outcomes. These projects demonstrate the real-world impact of the programme across a range of clinical areas, including nutrition, diabetes care, emergency handovers, and long-term condition management.
Examples include:
- Implementing nutritional support sessions in a rural general practice, using the NHS Weight Loss app to help patients improve diet and confidence in self-managing their health.
- Improving engagement with dietetic education for people living with diabetes in a rural Scottish community to support better long-term outcomes.
- Introducing an urgent and emergency care handover tool on a remote island to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of care before and during patient handovers.
- Increasing timely nurse-led phone reviews for long-term condition management across two island practices – improving continuity of care and patient follow-up.
Graduates from this first cohort are already making a real difference across Scotland–from island practices to mainland community hospitals–improving access to and continuity of care and reducing the need for patients to travel long distances for assessment or treatment.
91视频网 and NES will continue working together to expand opportunities in rural and remote healthcare education, ensuring services remain sustainable, accessible, and responsive to local need.
Roland Preston, Programme Leader for MSc Rural Advanced Practice at 91视频网, concluded:
“This is just the start. The MSc Rural Advanced Practice is equipping professionals with the tools to lead change and sustain care for generations to come.”
Find out more about MSc Rural Advanced Practice.