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Annual General Meeting

The 73rd annual general meeting of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy was held on Thursday, October 8, in the Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow. Mrs Sheila A Philbrook, a vice-president of the Society, chaired the meeting which was attended by about 200 members.

The minutes of the previous AGM were confirmed as a true record, and the chairman of Council, Patricia Phillips, referred to the Annual Report issued with the May Journal which detailed the main events of the year until then.

Mrs Phillips emphasised the need of the CSP to lead, rather than to react to change in the profession.

She acknowledged that the rapid im- plementation of changes in the NHS was still causing fear, conflict and frustration. In Scotland, a document produced by general managers took a ‘jaundiced’ attitude to the concerns of the professions allied to medicine, and the Society had expressed its dismay to the Scottish Office.

In order to support members, the CSP had developed professional advice and training programmes on audit and other management issues; and briefing papers on purchasing, marketing and contracting.

Battles for negotiating rights had virtually all been won and had been followed by often intense and difficult local bargaining.

A business development officer had been appointed at the CSP offices who would produce models and guide lines on business plans, marketing and contracts, and provide training. ‘This is a radical idea and one which will benefit all sections of the membership’, said Mrs Phillips.

NHS Changes The Society had welcomed the next big

change in the NHS - the shift towards community care - but the signs were not encouraging that it would be properly resourced, in spite of recent announce- ments about funding.

Moving on to Working Paper 10, Mrs Phillips announced that the number of places for physiotherapy students in 1992 was unchanged from the previous year. This did not mean that everything was satisfactory. ‘Bubbling away under the surface are all manner of threats, problems and concerns.’ Some regional health authorities had funded extra places or new schools, while others had used their new- found powers and responsibilities to try to de-stabilise physiotherapy education by cutting student places. The Society had made it clear that the growth of community care would mean that more chartered physiotherapists were needed, not fewer.

CSP Decisions Mrs Phillips pointed to the democratic

decision to affiliate to the TUC as an instance of the Society setting its own agenda.

Another example was the debate on physiotherapy helpers - Council advised

members to put off the decision in order to allow a general ballot.

The year had also seen exciting develop- ments in PACE, in answer to points raised at the 1991 Representatives’ Conference. ‘We have a BSc honours degree in physio- therapy studies as a top-up degree for graduate diplomates: the new degree is operated within the PACE scheme; Rosalind Ham, whom we have just honoured as a Fellow of the Society, has been appointed programme director; a Professional Development Diary has been produced: and some 1,300 members have already expressed an interest in PACE. It is looking very good and PACE will undoubtedly be the backbone of all our continuing education for the foreseeable future’, said Mrs Phillips.

Perhaps an even bigger issue was the move by professions allied to medicine, under the auspices of the Federation of Professional Organisations, to explore ways of strengthening their collective trade union function. ‘We are by far the largest and best resourced of those organisations’, said Mrs Phillips, drawing attention to the lunchtime meeting which would discuss the development on the following day.

Achievements The chairman reassured her audience

that not every issue was big or threatening. The Society had many positive achieve- ments during the year, including several more standards documents; a new international education fund; a new research group; a fresh look for the Journal; the production of a Branch pack to help officers with their work; a CSP manifesto during the general election campaign; a successful day promoting physiotherapy and children; more training workshops; continued work (with Department of Health funding) on Read coding; and preparations for the Centenary.

The Society had also challenged various people or groups on behalf of the profession with some success. Private practitioners and their patients had lobbied the Inland Revenue over tax relief on private medical insurance for elderly patients. The Society had approached architects and builders on the design of new homes and their lack of foresight in building in facilities for elderly or disabled people; the tobacco industry on a Europe- wide ban on tobacco advertising; the Health and Safety Executive on advice on office seating and VDUs, and the new legislation on manual handling of loads; and a large number of magazines and newspapers with particular complaints or comments.

Returning to the developments in education, Mrs Phillips said that when Council reaffirmed in 1987 that it wanted to see an all-graduate entry profession, few could have envisaged that this would be achieved so rapidly. Yet it had; all this year’s new physiotherapy students had just started a degree course.

‘This is a real achievement for the Society and the profession and I would like to thank the many people who have made it possible,’ said the chairman.

In conclusion, Mrs Phillips asked members to consider the factors which united the Society and not the issues which divided it. Their common educational foundation, their desire to serve patients as well as possible, together with their patients’ appreciation of and demand for physiotherapy services, were unifying factors. So were members’ ability to defend themselves individually or collectively through their trade union function, the knowledge that their Society was independent, run by chartered physio- therapists, beholden to nobody and financially secure, and the fact that, in practice, they all broadly undertook the same tasks.

‘With nearly 100 years on the clock, we! should all begin to think about the struggles faced by our Founders and earlier generations of physiotherapists, and appreciate that today’s difficulties are insignificant compared with the long-term need to remain united in the service of physiotherapy.’

Margaret Downton of London thanked all members of Council for their hard work during the year in achieving many of the objectives which had been outlined. She seconded adoption of the annual report which was carried without a vote.

Balance Sheet and Accounts Patricia McCoy, vice-chairman of Council

and chairman of the Policy and Resources Committee, proposed adoption of the balance sheet and accounts for the year ended December 31,1991, which had been set out in the published Annual Report.

She referred particularly to the pie charts illustrating the Society’s income and expenditure. These were not significantly different from the previous year, but in the longer term there had been some changes.

Members’ subscriptions provided a greater proportion of the Society’s income, and investment income rather less, than a few years ago. Most importantly, the Society’s income had increased sufficiently to meet its increased expenditure in strengthening both the Industrial Relations and Professional Affairs Departments.

Mrs McCoy was delighted to announce

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that the message from the organisers of the World Confederation for Physical Therapy conference the previous year, which had anticipated a loss, had been unduly pessimistic. The Society had received more than €20,000 as its share of the profit.

There were no questions about the accounts and Val Hopwood of Southamp- ton seconded their adoption, which was carried.

Mrs McCoy and Mrs Hopwood also pro- posed and seconded the appointment of the Society’s auditors, Kidsons Impey, which was also carried.

Members’ Benevolent Fund Ronald Paul,of Colchester made a plea

for members to contribute more generously to the Members’ Benevolent Fund.

It had been established in 1917 to offer financial help to needy members, and anyone of any age could still find

themselves wanting its aid. Yet it seemed increasingly difficult to get members to contribute.

The average annual donation per member was 20p, or less if one discounted a few major contributions from some Branches such as Glasgow and the Organisation of Chartered Physiotherapists in Private Practice, which were always generous.

‘Its this all we can really afford?’ he asked, urging members to go back home, campaign and collect more money in future.

The following people were proposed for appointment to the MBF Committee: Miss M E Darley, Dr M E Edwards, Miss P M Grasty, Miss E Holloway, Miss A C Pennefather, Mr M W Perry, Miss J W Robbens and Mrs A J Strawson.

Michele Lee, of London and a committee member of APCP, seconded the proposal which was carried.

Vote of Thanks

A vote of thanks to Mrs Phillips was moved by Jennie Collins, retiring Council member and formerly director of therapy services for the Royal Free Hospital Trust. She said that Mrs Phillips had worked tirelessly as chairman and not just in the CSP offices but across the country, visiting Specific Interest Groups, Boards, Branches and schools of physiotherapy. At the same time she networked on behalf of mem- bers with the Department of Health, Government representatives and members of other professional groups.

‘You have not only given of your time but of yourself and we are grateful’, said Miss Collins.

She wished Mrs Phillips well in the many challenges and changes of the coming year and thanked her for taking the leadership role in the Society.

The meeting ended with applause.

Special General Meeting A special general meeting of The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy was held on Thursday, October 8, in the Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow. The chairman of Council, Patricia members attended.

Motion 1. Helpers Anne Walker proposed and Claire

Strickiand seconded an amendment to Council’s motion to say: ‘That this meeting

(a) believes that a decision on the proposed admission of helpers to the Society should be the subject of a ballot of all members; (b) notes that the draft bye-laws proposed under motion 3 would allow all members to cast a proxy vote by post at afuture general meeting, which is not possible under the present bye-laws; (c) and therefore resolves that the question of admission of helpers should be deferred to a subsequent general meeting, to be held after confirmation of the revised bye-laws.’

Although there had been an opportunity to discuss the general issue before the amendment was moved, members did not debate the subject, since they had assumed that the amendment would go through. The amendment and the revised motion were carried unanimously. Members would take the issue back to Branches and Groups for further discussion.

Phillips, presided and about 200

Motion 2. Council Structure

considered as follows: Re-structuring of the CSP Council was

(a) Nationally elected sections should comprise

4 teachers or researchers 4 self-employed physiotherapists

12 (otherwise) employed physio-

(b) The number of Board representa- tives for Scotland should be increased to two. (c) Transferable voting should be introduced in Council.

These changes reflected the response to the consultation document on the structure of Council published in Physiotherapy, July 1991.

In answer to a question it was explained that Scotland had an appreciably larger number of members than any of the other Boards.

Toby Simon, Secretary of the Society, gave a brief explanation of the effects of introducing a transferable voting system for Council elections.

This motion was carried with two against and three abstentions.

therapists.

Motion 3. Bye-laws Members considered whether revised

bye-laws proposed by Council should be adopted.

Notes on the changes in the bye-laws were published in the July issue of Physiotherapy, and a complete new version was made available at the meeting, which took into account the decision made on motion 1.

This motion was carried without any dissent.

Motion 4. Rules of Professional Conduct

It was proposed to add the italicised words to rule 4: Chartered physiotherapists shall communicate and co-operate with other health and allied professions and all others caring for the patient in the interests of the patient.

Rule 8, which specifically restricted the use of the title MCSP to certain activities, was to be deleted, and the following rules re-n um bered.

Rule 9 was to be re-worded to read: Chartered physiotherapists shall not sell, supply, endorse or promote the sale of goods in ways in which exploit their relationship with individual patients.

Members carried this motion unan- imously.

Physiotherapy, November 1992, vol78, no 11