The government already has extensive rural-proofing mechanisms which ensure that the unique challenges of rural communities are considered in all our policymaking. The government undertakes robust impact assessment processes when introducing any new policy. The annual rural proofing report is the key tool in highlighting this work. The second of those reports, Delivering for Rural England, was published in September 2022. It sets out further details on the government’s approach to levelling up rural areas. The third report will be out later this year. The Levelling Up and Regeneration Bill will benefit rural areas by giving communities more of a say on local plans, by a new infrastructure levy able to deliver as much, if not more, affordable housing than at present, and by a new requirement for infrastructure providers and other bodies to help local authorities in drafting their local plans. As part of the third phase of the NHS response to Covid-19, NHSE asked ‘Integrated Care Systems’ (ICSs) to develop digitally enabled care pathways in ways which increase inclusion, including reviewing who is using new primary, outpatient, and mental health digitally enabled care pathways. Digital solutions in mental health enable remote multidisciplinary team functioning and information sharing to reduce administrative burden and to improve patient experience, including patients with specific needs. A prime example of these are virtual appointments, that are today used across a range of services and are proving particularly beneficial for users in areas where services are often far away from people’s homes and communities. For instance, NHS Talking Therapies (Formerly Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT)) services provide evidence- based psychological therapies to people with anxiety disorders and depression. Since the onset of the pandemic, remote access to Talking Therapies has increased significantly, from approx. 33% of appointments being delivered via phone/webcam and other virtual means to a high of 97%. As services return to more in-person face to face delivery, the proportion of activity still being delivered via remote technologies remains high at around 90%. This means patients can access therapy from the comfort of their own homes where they choose to do so. For rural communities where access to Talking Therapies may have been compromised in the past because it required long journeys to community hubs, patients now have a greater choice in how they receive therapy, and hence easier access. Even though many rural communities have poor internet coverage, therapy is being delivered via telephone, SMS messaging, email or via digital packages that do not require the patient and therapist to be online simultaneously. This allows citizens to work around lifestyle and geographical factors, leveraging the power of digital accessibility. The Department for Transport (DfT) will look for opportunities to work with Defra, DHSC, and NHSE to maximise health outcomes for rural communities through the transport system. DfT will soon publish its Future of Transport Rural Strategy, which will consider how innovation and emerging transport technologies can better support better health outcomes.