FRRHH: Five Years in Review and Looking Ahead
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The Faculty of Remote, Rural and Humanitarian Healthcare (FRRHH) has come a long way since its inception in 2018.
Formerly known as the Faculty of Remote and Rural Care (FRRH) prior to the inclusion of humanitarian in 2020, the Faculty was established to fulfil a need to improve the accessibility and quality of healthcare for those living and working in remote, rural, austere and life-threatening areas of the world.
This would be an ongoing mission which would involve working collaboratively with individuals and organisations to professionalise the standards of healthcare through sharing best practice, learning from peers and educating the global workforce in addition to understanding the ever-growing needs of those directly impacted.
With the support of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, a highly knowledgeable executive committee and invested advisory board, the Faculty has grown immensely over the past five years and remains committed to establishing a global and professional home for remote, rural and humanitarian healthcare professionals.
A trip down memory lane
The Faculty of Remote and Rural Healthcare (FRRH) evolved from the Institute of Remote Healthcare which was made up of a number of academic institutions within the Northeast of Scotland. The driving force behind this connection was the late Professor John Nelson Norman who was a surgeon and pioneer in remote medicine. Professor Norman played a key role in the establishment of FRRH in 2018 and affectionately became known as the ideological grandfather of the Faculty.
In November 2018, the Faculty was officially established under the leadership of the first Chair, Dr Alistair Fraser and a year later the Faculty gained its first individual member and organisation member. The work of the Capabilities Framework also began which would act as the foundation of the Faculty to inform the design and creation of all core faculty services and activities. The completed framework would then be used for assessing, facilitating and recognising the professional development of remote, rural and humanitarian healthcare professionals.
Two years since its inception, in the midst of a global pandemic and under the leadership of a new Chair, Dr Rikard Moen, humanitarian healthcare was integrated into the Faculty, now formally known as the Faculty of Remote, Rural and Humanitarian Healthcare (FRRHH).
Communicating in a digital era
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the world was learning to adapt to a new way of living and communicating with one another by digital means. The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh used webinars as one way to communicate, encourage and engage with its global membership. Consequently, the Faculty developed a close relationship with organisations within the field such as the Viking Surgeons Association (VSA) to develop a series of educational webinars which went on to reach a wider audience within the community of remote and rural practitioners. Since 2020, the Faculty webinar library has expanded and covered numerous topics with various organisations to cater to its audience whilst remaining free and accessible to all.
In 2021, and now approaching its third year, the Faculty partnered with UK-Med to provide its first educational offering for members by way of a new online course known as the Introduction to Humanitarian Healthcare. This course has proven to be a valuable resource for those looking to embark on a career within humanitarian healthcare and equally those looking to reflect on their learning and experience from a recent deployment. With contributions made by leaders within the field of emergency and humanitarian healthcare the Faculty is proud to have seen over 1900 learners register for this course to support them in their professional journey. Later that year, the Faculty was delighted to formalise its partnership with UK-Med officially signing an MOU (memorandum of understanding) as a commitment to continue to work together to uphold the standards and drive the development of humanitarian healthcare globally.
2021 saw further advancements with the Faculty announcing a new Fellowship Fund which would later offer under £30,000 to support seven inspiring projects working towards improving the health outcomes of patients in remote and rural areas of the world and across various specialties. Such projects have led to primary trauma care training in Burundi and basic and advanced training in endoscopy for surgical trainees and practising surgeons in Kenya.
Free Access to the Introduction to Humanitarian Healthcare Course
The Faculty is saddened to see the devastating and tragic events taking place around the world which have led to numerous humanitarian crises.
As an organisation which supports humanitarian healthcare professionals, and who are dedicated to serving those in need, the Faculty made a decision in 2022 to make its Introduction to Humanitarian Healthcare Course free and accessible to all. In doing so, this would help to remove some barriers for those who are willing and passionate to learn and develop a career within this field.
The Faculty also produced a number of articles which advised on ways to support during a humanitarian crisis and sign posted to a number of charities in need of help.
The professionalisation and recognition of remote, rural and humanitarian healthcare
Fast tracking to 2023, the Faculty has reached its five year milestone and is overjoyed to introduce the postnominal awards of Membership and Fellowship as part of their second phase. This is a major step for the Faculty and its global community of remote, rural and humanitarian healthcare professionals who work tirelessly to improve the health outcomes of those in need despite their circumstances.
After many years of hard work and collaboration with academic institutions and a dedicated working group, the Capabilities Framework is also moving closer to completion.
Looking Ahead
Five years on and the Faculty is proud of its accomplishments to date and recognises and appreciates each and everyone that has been instrumental in the journey so far. Whilst FRRHH has achieved so much in the space of five years, the hard work must continue and the Faculty looks forward in anticipation to the growth of its membership and its impact on the wider work to professionalise the standard of healthcare and break down the barriers to accessible and safe patient care for all.
FRRHH would not be where it is today, if it wasn’t for the guidance of its executive committee, faculty advisory board, the support of its partners, volunteers and faithful members to whom the Faculty remains continually grateful.
FRRHH aims to continue to support its members in their professional journey and looks forward to the next phase and the years ahead.
L-R: Alistair Fraser, FRRHH FAB Co-Chair; Phil Sharples, FRRHH Honorary Treasurer; Gill Mitchell, RCSEd Head of Faculties; Rikard Moen, FRRHH Chair; Andy Kent OBE, FRRHH Deputy Chair
