Elections take place on Thursday 23 May across all parts of the UK. The CSP is non-party political so we do not endorse any party or candidates. But we do provide information to our members on elections and their implications for physiotherapy.
The European Parliament is an important body which has a real impact on physiotherapy. Due to Brexit uncertainty it is unclear if the UK MEPs elected in May will take their seats. But if they do, they could influence UK physiotherapy.
Areas where the European Parliament could influence the profession include:
Employment rights
EU legislation covers areas including health and safety, working hours, annual leave, maternity and protection when contracts are moved between organisations for example due to outsourcing.
Access to healthcare
EU rules enable UK citizens to access medical care across the EU, and EU citizens to use the NHS. Any changes to these arrangements would be subject to European Parliament consideration.
Working abroad
EU rules help UK physios gain professional recognition in other EU countries, while ensuring that national standards are still met. EU rules on mutual recognition currently limit the scope of practice of EU physios working in the UK who don’t meet full HCPC requirements. This protects patients. The European Parliament would have a role in any future changes.
Occupational health
EU health and safety laws cover things like workstation assessments and manual handling. These laws protect employed physios and physio support workers but also reinforce the importance of occupational health physios working to ensure that businesses are healthy and productive.
Research
The UK has been the largest recipient of EU health research funding.
Study
EU-funded student exchanges have been open to UK physiotherapy students.
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