The Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust launch Nurse Advice Clinic

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The Gamekeepers’ Welfare Trust has launched a new resource which enables gamekeepers, stalkers and ghillies, as well as anyone in their family, to speak to or meet online with a trained nurse. 

Health provision, like other areas of life, has different challenges in rural areas. GPs often have a wider area to cover than urban GPs. There may be a lack of out-of-hours care like walk-in centres available, and areas that attract visitors can mean an increase in the number of people seeking help at key times of the year. 

This is why it is so important that the GWT are able to offer health support to rural workers and their families. The new Nurse Advice Clinic increases the range of health support available from the rural charity. The health support they offer currently ranges from resources to download and bespoke information packs, to free counselling. 

Helen Benson, Chief Executive Officer of the GWT, said:

"We are aware that there are challenges in health provision. In some of the home nations there’s a growing population, but a stagnation of growth in the number of GPs [1]. Many of us will have experienced difficulty in accessing advice and appointments, and that’s without factoring in that some of us are very restricted in when we can make time available for personal appointments. Our new Nurse Advice Clinic will provide people with an opportunity to talk to a healthcare professional on the phone or online, at a convenient time, from their own home."

The GWT Nurse Advice Clinic has had the go-ahead from the charity’s Trustees for a six-month pilot. If successful, it will become part of the permanent offer supporting gamekeepers, stalkers, ghillies and their families across the U.K. 

The GWT Nurse Advice Clinic launched on Monday 21 November 2022 and will be available on Mondays 9 – 11am and Wednesdays 6 – 8pm.  See www.thegamekeeperswelfaretrust.com or call the GWT Health Line 0300 011 0018 for appointments.