EURIPA hosted an invitational Rural Health Forum during May 2010 in Majorca and the findings from the two day Forum, which embraced discussions around research, education, quality and policy as well as in special interest groups, will be reviewed at the Wonca Europe conference in Malaga. EURIPA will hold its AGM at Wonca Europe 2010 and an action plan will be finalized.
EURIPA has submitted proposals to the conference organizers for wide ranging workshops including research, a joint workshop with Vasco da Gama, rural doctors in literature and SemFYC (the Spanish Society of Family and Community Medicine) is planning a workshop on communication in rural practice using the book ‘An Irish Country Doctor’.
Professor Steve Reid from South Africa, who is now Professor of General Practice at Cape Town University, began his career as a rural doctor in South Africa and will be giving a plenary address. Professor Reid has extensive knowledge about rural primary care issues and will be discussing these in the context of threats (economic, demographic, etc.) and the opportunities that will have to be addressed in the future. Special consideration will be given to the impact of the global economic crisis and its possible impact on providing care on the periphery.