A changing model of rural care.

Consider the impact on your pregnancy, birth and puerperium of living in a remote or rural area. A substantial minority of people in Scotland live in such areas, which has considerable implications for provision of health services and the staff at the front line of the profession. In the winter of 2011, Jo Lironi joined the team of midwives at Caithness General Hospital (CGH) in the North East Highlands of Scotland. Four years later, the process to review the model of care on grounds of safety began.This led to the immediate introduction of emergency interim measures while the public health review was initiated. Having left the unit after publication of the review, Jo reflects on her experience in a rural consultant-led unit and its transition into midwifery-led care.