The future of healthcare, workforce, sustainability and access to care was foremost at a fringe meeting at the annual conference of the Scottish National Party.
The CSP joined a panel at the weekend in Edinburgh with the Royal College of Nursing, Cabinet secretary for health Neil Gray and Professor Anita Simmers.
The meeting was set against the challenging background in Scotland's health system, with record waiting times, high staff vacancy rates, and low morale. The Cabinet secretary has called for a national conversation on future services and the meeting discussed the potential for reform to address workforce challenges and create a sustainable system.
Kenryck Lloyd-Jones (CSP public affairs and policy manager for Scotland) took the opportunity to reaffirm the need for a planned expansion of the physiotherapy workforce, stating that the Scottish government now needed to take control of training places, address short staffing and invest in rehabilitation and preventative care.
Applicant numbers high
The panel also heard from Professor Anita Simmers, Dean, School of Health and Life Sciences at Glasgow Caledonian University who confirmed that physiotherapy continues to attract high numbers of qualified applicants, but that retention in the NHS workforce also had to be addressed.
Alongside workforce planning, the crucial role of physiotherapy in the Scottish government’s own priorities was highlighted. The Cabinet secretary repeated his priorities around avoiding hospital admissions and early supported discharge, both of which require the vital contribution of the physiotherapy workforce.
Reflecting on the panel discussion, Kenryck said: ‘Our engagement was a valuable opportunity to reiterate the need for a planned expansion of the physiotherapy workforce. In addition there was constructive discussion on staff morale, career development and staff retention, all of which have to be factored in to future workforce decisions.
The need for more inclusive decision making structures was raised, particularly a stronger voice for allied health professionals.
'We look can forward to discussing these themes further when we meet the Cabinet secretary again later this month as part of a delegation of the Allied Health Professions Federation in Scotland.'
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