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In summer 2023, NHS England published the Long-Term Workforce Plan (LTWP) ‘the first comprehensive workforce plan’ for the health service, which is intended to deliver sustainable staffing and improvements in patient care. As ever, when governments change, workplans, timelines and progress across all departments can be disrupted. Within the Department of Health and Social Care this has been most evident in the major conditions strategy. This joined the growing collection of documents on the great Whitehall shelf in the sky that were written but never published, as it was developed by a

98% of Scottish CSP members told us that the current staffing levels of the services in which they work are not adequate to meet patients’ needs. The findings of this survey should send urgent alarm bells ringing for the Scottish Government. The evidence is overwhelming: Scotland’s physiotherapy services are in crisis, with severe consequences for both patients and staff. Workforce gaps threaten the impact of increased NHS funding The root cause of this crisis is clear: the growing demand for physiotherapy (from an ageing population, additional new roles in primary care, and increasing need

I hope it’s no spoiler that the answer to the Health Foundation’s latest report ‘Are intermediate care services stretched too thin?’ is a resounding yes. Short-term care services aimed at improving people’s independence are all too often facing a stark choice between using a bed for prevention or for rehabilitation. The report reveals that step-up care beds are being ‘lost’ due to the delayed discharges of step-down patients, reducing the ability of some intermediate care facilities to act as preventative services. Lack of rehab causing readmissions It also found that 37 per cent of step-down

In the UK, approximately 15 per cent of the physiotherapy workforce consists of non-registered support staff. In my early career as a physiotherapist, a support worker welcomed me to the unit and shared their expertise. This meant so much to me, and meant I was able to offer the best to my patients. And it’s just one example of the countless ways support workers create a profound impact through their work. Continuing professional development (CPD) is essential for all healthcare staff, including support workers. CPD ensures that staff stay up to date with skills and knowledge to practice

The commitment from NHS England (NHSE) to commission a review which will lay the groundwork for AHP safe and effective staffing levels is a significant step for the physiotherapy profession. In 2023, CSP members bravely took industrial action. One of the outcomes of this action was securing a seat for AHP unions at the NHSE Safe Staffing Working Group. This provided us an unprecedented opportunity to represent the voice of the physiotherapy professions and underscore the need for clear, evidence-based guidance around staffing for AHPs. The lack of such guidance to date has meant that, unlike

The CSP is pressing the ICB for clarity after members told us that contracts with the 13 MSK Any Qualified Provider (AQP) services were under review with plans to remove these sometime in early 2025. Though it's not clear what will replace these services, a service user consultation indicates several options are being considered including a package of group exercise, online education and other services. The CSP is seeking answers, pointing out that the demand for physio services should not be redistributed to other parts of the healthcare system without an increase in workforce, as this could

As we look ahead to 2024-25 and beyond, the commitment to investing an additional £22.6 billion in resource spending for the Department of Health and Social Care in 2025-26 is not only encouraging but essential for the future of our NHS. This substantial investment is set to empower the NHS in England to deliver an impressive 40,000 additional elective appointments each week. This commitment reflects the government’s determination to ensure that patients can expect to wait no longer than 18 weeks from referral to consultant-led treatment. It’s a promise that will significantly enhance patient

On Tuesday I met with the Department of Health and Social Care ministers to champion the critical role physiotherapy staff have to play in re-shaping the NHS into a neighbourhood health service. But we know the government will not only be swayed by the voices of senior leaders – but the volume of voices from the frontline. You have so much insight and experience to contribute as the profession at the forefront of person-centred, closer-to-home care. I urge you to share those insights with the government as it launches the biggest consultation on the NHS in history. If you have anything to say

After an incredible weekend of insightful discussions at the CSP Annual Conference, it's clear that the conversations we started on data, digital and informatics have only just begun. Let's keep the momentum going by staying connected and sharing ideas! On Saturday, the second day of the conference, the CSP Physiotherapy Health Informatics Strategy (PHIS) team led a discussion with members about their challenges with using data, digital and informatics in their practice. We also discussed some solutions that they had implemented and what they might want from a group of like-minded members who

Starting in the spring with a larger five-person team, we will have got to over 100 workplaces by the end of the year in meetings attended by approximately 1,000 physiotherapists and support staff - in addition to holding dozens of virtual meetings with you. It has been an inspiring and energising experience. Lack of space to work, parking, equipment and staffing shortages, workload pressures and burnout, and on call policies were among the top issues cited by physios and support workers. We also heard about barriers to career progression; for example, members in Scotland raised accessing