What has the CSP done to support members during the Covid-19 pandemic?

‘Provided online information on PPE, lobbied for AGP advice to be amended, advised individual members concerned about PPE...  

Worked with the TUC to highlight PPE shortages, lobbied for regular testing of healthcare staff, provided extra weekend and bank holiday advice services, provided regular email Covid-19 updates, redesigned the website to make it easier to access Covid-19-related advice... 

Provided advice on video and phone consultations, provided advice on government support for private practices, lobbied for the NHS to take on private practitioners temporarily, initiated an alliance of 16 professions lobbying for further support for small businesses... 

Intervened with insurer to challenge refusal to pay out for business disruption, lobbied for Covid-19 visa extensions for physios that cover all sectors, led calls for the rehab needs for both Covid-19 and non-Covid-19 patients to be planned for... 

Provided patient advice resources on staying fit and active at home, hosted the NHSE MSK resources portal, advised members worried about level of scaling back of rehab and other services, set out a policy statement on future rehab needs... 

Worked with governments and employers to support retired returners and final year students into the workforce, advised unis about student placements, worked with ALBs to get mid-year students into support worker roles, created special membership arrangements for these members... 

Advised individuals and stakeholders on pay, terms, conditions and role profiles for temporary staff, promoted temporary routes into the workforce, helped services recruit private practitioners where they have an urgent need for staff.... 

Briefed the media and organised press opportunities to highlight the role of physios in treating Covid-19, lobbied MPs, MLAs, AMs, MSPs on issues from visas to PPE, pressed employers for support for the mental health of staff affected by their work, provided advice and support to stewards... 

Developed online training for reps, introduced a weekly podcast, proactively contacted volunteers to ask how we can help them, run virtual consultations on Covid-19 rehab, organised virtual regional and country Covid-19 forums... 

Attended virtual student meetings, provided advice to students online, by email and on the phone, provided professional and clinical information, developed plans for rapid research into the impact of virtual services, been in regular contact with national AHP leads... 

Continued to provide Frontline on a monthly basis, taken on the comms for some networks, worked with professional networks to ensure the right clinical advice is available to physios (big thanks to all the volunteers involved), lobbied for death in service benefits (successes). 

But we did have to cancel our annual reps conference. Sorry about that.’