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I addressed some of the concerns that have been made recently around the role of FCP in primary care, this week in Health Service Journal. It’s very important that we don’t let FCP become collateral damage in ongoing concerns about the regulation of physician associates or the funding of GPs. The role is worth its weight in gold in terms of the benefits it brings to primary care – both to the wider team and to patients I made the point that FCPs have an entirely different role to physician associates and shouldn’t be bound in with the highly charged discussions over regulation

For many years the CSP has spoken about how best to support the physiotherapy profession to showcase what we do, our impact, how we support and improve the lives of our patients, and how we influence those around us to continue to invest in our services. The CSP hears the problems that you, our members, are facing every day; including reductions in funding and continued loss of space. We have also heard via the Digital and Informatics Physiotherapy Group (DIPG), our community rehab survey and the insight work for our Physiotherapy Health Informatics Strategy, the challenges and realities our

Labour are in the same position as someone who has acquired a potentially wonderful but very run-down house. Like many people who buy a dream home doer upper, they didn’t have the option of renovating it before they moved in. They will have to project manage change whilst putting up with the state the home is in now. They fear that they only have the money to do some improvements at a time, unless their plan to bring in more income through a better job works out. They are excited but also anxious because of the scale of the project and how long it might take to create their dream home. It may

The CSP call for fair pay will need to continue whatever the result on 4 July – as pay will not be resolved in a single year. However, while we recognise it has to be part of a longer-term plan, the next government must begin to address the workforce crisis in the NHS, and fair pay has to be part of the solution. After many years, which have frequently seen below inflation rises, the link between pay and recruitment and retention is all too clear. Without the staff, the services that are so badly needed across the country cannot be delivered. And it is not just about pay in the NHS. Whatever

At the CSP it’s not our job to tell you who to vote for but we do urge members to look at what the parties are offering and to use your vote. Manifestos are never comprehensive, so it is not simple to judge what a party will do beyond their headline manifesto commitments. CSP policy asks of all politicians for the general election have been clear: Transform rehabilitation Expand and develop the workforce needed to deliver better care Deliver fair pay and conditions to retain staff. A range of other issues will be important to members in deciding how to vote in the election including the

All physiotherapists will be able to recall that one moment with a patient that unlocked a mystery. A look, a throwaway remark, the actions of an accompanying relative. Those previously hidden parts of the puzzle that when combined with clinical reasoning skills and a deep understanding of the evidence base, enabled the clinician to put the person in front of them on the right path. That, for me, is why AI cannot ever entirely replace a real physiotherapist. Our interactions are with humans, and it’s this human contact that means we can meet their needs in a way that AI cannot. This is

CSP members regularly report staff shortages across all sectors of the workforce. There has been substantial growth in new graduate numbers in recent years, but problems recruiting – and crucially in the NHS, retaining – staff persist. In patient-facing roles, this impairs their ability to provide high-quality care during a time when demand is surging due to a range of factors, including the growing numbers of people living with at least one health condition. Elsewhere, it is having an impact on areas of the profession such as education, storing up further problems for the future. So, what are

The concept that prevention is better than cure is not new. Promoting health and wellbeing, and preventing conditions from worsening are fundamental principles underpinning public health and improving the health of the population. The Essential Need for Prevention The rise of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes presents one of the most daunting public health challenges of our time. These lifestyle-related conditions are leading causes of death and disability worldwide, consuming vast healthcare resources and impacting countless lives (Parra et

Our three asks for the next government are: Transform rehabilitation to improve quality of life for patients, reduce pressure on the most costly parts of health and social care and help address the growing numbers of people unable to work. Address workforce shortages. We can’t transform rehab without an expanded profession from apprentices through to consultants. Fair pay. Without fair pay and more flexible working the NHS will struggle to attract and retain people. Although manifestos have not yet been issued, we have some idea of where the main parties stand. The Conservatives want

This wider discussion reflects that advanced practice is now securely a multi-professional arena, where any decision that affects one part of the advanced practice workforce will impact on another. For years, physiotherapists have been trailblazers, pioneers of patient pathway reform. Many members are now asking, how will this impact me in my current or potential career as an advanced practitioner? The answer in the short term is it probably won’t. The HCPC has indicated they do not intend to follow suit, so regulatory requirements for physiotherapists remain unchanged. It will also take