Your comments: 15 March 2017

This year the British Geriatric Society (BGS) celebrates 70 years of improving healthcare for older people. We are passionate about working together to improve the quality of life for all those who are living longer. 

 

Frailty and sarcopenia are firmly on the NHS agenda, and strength and balance training is highlighted as one of the key interventions.  New models of care are offering opportunities for innovative approaches and we need to contribute our expertise and knowledge more widely.

 

Why not join the British Geriatric Society, and join the growing number of therapists who are working to improve understanding, and influencing the direction of travel?

 

You can join online at http://bit.ly/2mlNrS0  You can also join the frailty and sarcopenia special interest group, as well as the nurses’ and allied health professionals’ (AHPs) council.  If you want to know more, an age and ageing sarcopenia collection of papers is available free at http://bit.ly/2mFVKZN And come along to the autumn conference to hear more on 22- 24 November in London.  More information here http://bit.ly/2m2nd4s I look forward to meeting you!

 

Thank you for your article on our role in the London marathon and call for volunteers.  We have been inundated with more than 50 responses and have now filled our quota of physiotherapists and students for the route team.

 

We are now getting excited in the lead up to the marathon on 23 April and are in the process of preparing for the briefing that takes place during the week before the event for our volunteers, many of whom have participated in multiple marathons and many who are new this year. 

 

If you are still interested in volunteering in future years as a physio or student, you are welcome to email us and join a mailing list. marathonohysio@gmail.com

 

In recent months there has been some heat generated around the topic of precautions following total hip replacement. This topic featured in a Frontline report on a survey of members of the Association of Trauma and Orthopaedic Chartered Physiotherapists (ATOCP) (page 10, 7 December). 

 

At this meeting I presented the findings of a pilot study, in which I questioned patients about their adherence to precautions.  The outcome of the subsequent ATOCP survey and also the patient adherence work were presented earlier this month to the British Hip Society, a specialist interest group of the British Orthopaedic Association.  

 

After a discussion group was held, I carried out a further survey of surgeons including their current practice, appetite for change and feasibility of them participating in a randomised controlled trial (RCT).  

 

The next step is to carry out a pilot of an RCT followed by a multi-centre national RCT trial with a sample size of 4,500.