Latest Blogs
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ARC 2022: Karen Middleton's conference speech
Well what a joy to have spent a couple of days together face to face! To value the community of our physiotherapy profession. To experience that sense of belonging. I’ve missed this! The last few years have been very, very difficult for all of us and you, our members, have been at the forefront of dealing with the pandemic – I applaud and thank you. Our professional and personal lives have collided; we’ve put our resilience to the test and many of us have been ill and, tragically, lost loved ones. But as we come out of the Covid pandemic, I see and feel something even more pervasive than a -
The Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service – why does it matter?
The 2022/23 specification , recently published in England, is part of the annual NHS GP Contract. It empowers general practice to improve the range of services it offers to its populations working in primary care networks (PCNs). Most FCPs in England are funded through the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS). The contract sets out the detailed requirements for reimbursement of all staff contracted or recruited under the ARRS. It sets clear expectations around the level of practice and role of an MSK FCP, the embedding of FCP in primary care and access to appropriate supervision and -
Covid vaccination: a background briefing
Because Covid is a new disease, research and analysis of real world data are ongoing. Learning is therefore evolving. Even more than with other areas of medical science, there is therefore a need to make a judgement based on the best information available and to trust virologists, immunologists and public health clinicians when they give opinions. This briefing brings together information from multiple sources to explain our policy perspective on Covid vaccination. It is not a scientific review of evidence but uses readily available information to evidence four key CSP statements. Covid is a -
Opinion: Nationality and Borders Bill
Reports of the potential removal of British citizenship without notice are of deep concern. Since 1981 the law has allowed British citizenship to be removed from dual nationality if they are convicted criminals or on national security grounds. We have concerns about the potential inappropriate use of this existing power. We are also concerned that Clause 9 of the Nationality and Borders Bill could be abused to prevent people challenging decisions. Changes to the requirement to notify people of the intention to deprive them of citizenship under this clause have given rise to real anxiety and -
Ending the NHS market in England
Back in 2012 the CSP opposed the introduction of a competitive internal market into the English NHS. We were concerned about both the potential impact on services for patients from changing providers regularly and the potential impacts on members where tendering resulted in changes for them. However once the changes were made, many members said that they didn’t want constant change, so along with other unions and professional bodies we supported members to work within the system. Nearly a decade later the internal market systems has been shown to fail. In some areas contracts have been handed -
NHS pension scheme contribution changes
Update – 21 February 2022 Following responses from the CSP, other trade unions, and stakeholders across the NHS, the Department of Health and Social Care has responded to their consultation. The government intends to proceed with the majority of its proposed changes, but will delay the implementation date from April to October 2022. The proposal will affect every pension scheme member differently, so it is important that you review the confirmed changes. The Westminster government is consulting on more changes to the NHS pension scheme in England and Wales, but this time, it’s on member -
Autumn Budget 2021: a mixed bag
Budgets and spending reviews are rarely all good or all bad. Chancellors always try to do the illusionist’s trick of attracting attention to one element or another to divert attention from the less palatable decisions. This year the Chancellor tried to pull off the diversion in advance by selectively revealing elements of the Budget to the media. Health and care The Budget included extra health spending. As this was one of the areas pre-released, the CSP has already commented . But the detail yesterday revealed two major areas of concern: If it is enough to meet to meet Covid legacy and -
Celebrating our AHP workforce
By Gillian Rawlinson, CSP assistant director, practice and development We’ve got so much to be thankful for as we reflect on one of the most difficult periods any of us have ever faced in the health and social care sector. As we look ahead, I wanted to reflect on the opportunities and challenges facing AHPs and physiotherapists as we try to reset, find opportunities to develop and have even greater impact. The first thing to do though is to say a huge thanks to all of our AHPs for everything you have done this year. Whoever you are and wherever you work, it has been tough and it is essential -
We need a rehab revolution, before it’s too late
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact for many people living with a long-term condition. The physical deterioration caused by greater levels of inactivity has been compounded by the social isolation of lockdown. At the same time, rehabilitation services vital in managing and helping to support have been suspended and continue to face challenges in clearing the enormous backlog. There is greater need now than ever before – even before you consider the one million people living with Long Covid, most of whom require some form of rehabilitation. The CSP contributed to the report -
NHS staffing should be a 'culture war' free zone
A xenophobic headline , which the paper rather than the would be NHS CEO are responsible for, has ignited outrage. This lays right into the so-called 'culture war' between liberal internationalists and conservative nationalists. But in my view discussions on NHS workforce should not be turned into part of the culture war because that will drive decisions based on ideology, rather than what we need as a healthcare system. The NHS relies on colleagues from across the world, and has done for decades. They are a valued and essential part of the team Anyone who doesn’t recognise this, especially at