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media watchc Members continue to achieve publicity in both local and national newspapers for a wide range of issues. Not mentioned individually, because of lack of space, were several excellent articles about new services being offered by hospitals, new private practices, and profiles of individual members and their work. Animal therapy and acupuncture also seem particularly popular. Letters have been sent to newspapers and magazines either to clear up misconceptions about physiotherapy or to highlight different aspects of physiotherapists’ work.

Treatment and Elderly A letter written by a Brighton physiother- apist to local GPs saying she could no longer accept referral of chronic disorders in those over 65, caused a furore in the national media. All national news programmes carried the story as did most national newspapers. The Independent ran two articles on the issue as did the Evening Standard. Many local papers and radio stations picked up on the story and looked at services available locally. More detailed reflections on the overall situation within the NHS appeared in the Sunday Times and Sunday Telegraph.

Questions were even asked in the House of Commons about the rationing of services to the elderly. On the same day that the story broke the Society issued a statement which acknowledged that not all conditions can be treated long-term, but condemned rationing of services purely on the grounds of age. The physiotherapist involved in the incident spoke out in the Brighton Evening Argus claiming the Trust was making her a scapegoat for implem- enting its policy. Pat McCoy, chairman of Council, spoke about the row on Radio 4’s ’Does He Take Sugar?’ The issue was also discussed on Radio 4’s ’World at One’ and the ‘Today’ programme; Radio 1’s

‘Newsbeat’ and ‘Steve Wright’; and Radio 5’s ‘Midday with Mair’. BBCl’s ‘Kilroy‘ - and in a more lighthearted vein - BBC2’s ‘Have I Got News for You’ discussed the issue of ageism within the NHS.

Staff Shortages The Manchester Evening News reported

that MPs in the North were worried about the shortage of physiotherapy staff at Manchester Royal Infirmary. Following a meeting between MPs and Central Man- Chester Healthcare Trust about the problem, Ian McCartney, Labour’s health spokesman and local MP, discovered a number of ‘dark secrets in a black binder’ according to the Health Service Journal. The trust’s members had denied there was any physiotherapy crisis at the hospital, the contents of the binder, which contained a range of correspondence from within the trust on the subject, told otherwise.

Management at the Countess of Chester Hospital also seems to have problems with understaffing. The physiotherapy depart- ment has a shortfall of seven staff, says the Chester Herald and Post. ‘More physiotherapists needed’ was the headline in the Aberdeen Press and Journal and health watchdogs in Scarborough were concerned about the long waiting times for physiotherapy according to the Scar-

borough Evening News. And, on a happier note, the Evening Chronicle in Oldham pictured health service managers and union representatives, including chartered physiotherapist Avis Gilmore, signing an historic deal on pay talks. ’

When Paul Gascoigne was injured in training, the national media rushed to physiotherapists for advice. In particular demand was ex-Spurs physiotherapist, John Sheridan, who was asked about Gazza’s prognosis. Physiotherapists were interviewed on ‘GMTV. ‘London Today’.. Radio 4’s ‘Today’ programme, BBCl’s ‘Breakfast News’, Radio 1’s ‘Newsbeat’, GLR (Greater London Radio) and LBC.

Fewer Lost Police Days Other mentions of physiotherapy during

the period were on LWT’s ‘Life and Death’; Sky’s coverage of the House of Lords; Radio 4‘s ‘You and Yours’; and the ‘Jimmy Young Programme’ on Radio 2. BBCl’s ‘Breakfast News’ and Radio 5’s ‘Midday with Mair’ explained how, by employing their own physiotherapist, Greater Manchester police had cut down on working days lost. Radio 1’s ‘Newsbeat’ focused on how physiotherapy helps those with cystic fibrosis and Radio 4’s ‘Week’s Good Cause’ looked at how daily physio- therapy helped arthrogryposis. An excellent article in the Daily Mail’s ‘First break’ series looked at how and why Paul Mexsom became a chartered physio-

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therapist; the same newspaper also high- lighted the lack of obstetric physiother- apists within the NHS in a piece called ‘Birth day blues of a dad’: and a short piece described the desperate shortage of effective treatment on the NHS for suffers from repetitive strain injury (RSI). It was reported that those with RSI are having to pay €25 for private physiotherapy. The Guardian ran a story about an NHS trust hospital in Scotland running a private sports injury clinic in the evening, claiming it was the first such clinic to be run on NHS premises! And the Society’s advice on how to take the strain out of gardening re- emerged towards the end of May, in The Guardian, and the Readers Digest. In the Daily Express physiotherapist Peggy Pearman advised gardeners on back care. Back pain and its treatment was the subject of an article in The Times, where a surgeon assessed a pioneering opera- tion. Physiotherapy and manipulation had initially provided the doctor with temporary relief. In the same newspaper someone who had Guillain-Barre syn- drome explained that physiotherapy was the only treatment, and how it helped restore wasted and weak limbs. Leslie Watson, a physiotherapist and marathon runner, was invited to lunch with actor Terence Stamp. This was reported in the Independent on Sunday. The reason for media interest is that Leslie and Mr Stamp both have food intolerances.

Women’s Magazines Physiotherapy seems to be mentioned on a regular basis in most women’s magaz- ines. The last quarter was no exception. TV Quick and Woman’s Weekly looked at incontinence and explained how physio- therapy can help; Chat publicised a back- care video produced by chartered physio- therapist Ted le Broq; and the new Healthy Back Book by Elizabeth Sharp was

Lydia Gillman, physiotherapist at St Oswald’s Hospice, Gosforth, Newcastle. treating lymphoedema sufferer Victoria Smith with husband John assisting

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featured in Chat and Company. While in Top Sante Health and Beauty Mike Varney warned readers how sport can damage your health if it’s not done properly. And in Bella physiotherapists’ use of bio- feedback machinery was touched upon in an article ‘Train yourself to get well’.

Professional Journals There was plenty of good physiotherapy coverage in the medical press. Health Service Management highlighted the lack of women appointed to NHSME, that large numbers of physiotherapy posts are disap- pearing, and ran an excellent article on the work of Sue Jackson, physiotherapy manager at North Staffordshire Hospital. GP magazine had a piece on ‘easing joint and muscle pain’, in which physiother- apists Jean Alvis and Gill Carter illustrated various treatment options; Alan Bonelle explained to GPs how physiotherapists can help treat knee problems, and in a feature about a GP who bought his own health centre, the GP concerned praised the FHSM who had funded a full-time physio- therapy post attached to the practice. The physiotherapist has a fully equipped room, and a gym. Demand for physiotherapy is so high that a second part-time physiotherapist is soon to be employed.

Physiotherapy was also mentioned in Nursing Times on three occasions, subjects covered were hip replacement, back pain among nurses, and incontin- ence. The British Medical Journal dealt with overuse injury in sport and Chic Health covered pain management. A doctor told readers of Monitor Weekly how he ignored a consultant’s advice to have absolute bed rest following a prolapsed disc and took his friend’s advice to consult a chartered physiotherapist. Happily the treatment ‘not only restored my somewhat stiff and distorted posture to normality, but inculcated in me a more optimistic outlook’ said the grateful doctor.

Bits and Pieces

Several articles have appeared in the Evening Chronicle of Newcastle-upon- Tyne about the treatment and prevention

of backpain. The issue of bad backs was also looked at in the West Hefts and Watford Observer, Grantham Citizen and South Wales Echo. All highlighted how physiotherapy could help sufferers. The Manchester Evening News and Salford City Reporter both heralded the opening of a back school at the University College of Salford’s physiotherapy department.

Gail Easdale, member of the cast of ‘Cats’ playing at Bradford Alhambra, in the skilled hands of Keighley-based physiotherapist David Cook Keighley News talked to local physio- therapist David Cook who has been treating the cast of ‘Cats’ at Bradford Alhambra. The Western Morning News devoted a quarter of a page to the escape of Elizabeth Hardinge, a member from Plymouth, from war-torn Rwanda; ‘Someone to turn to when the doctors can no longer help’ was the headline in the Wharfedale and Airdale Observer. Two patients described how physiotherapist

Jacquelyne Todd had helped with relieving their lymphoedema and Lydia Gillham’s work with sufferers was featured in The Journal of Newcastle-on-Tyne, and Channel 4’s ‘The Pulse.’

Centenary News Centenary events and celebrations continue to make the news with the cycle ride from John O’Groats to Land’s End, which has been organised by students, generating a fair amount of publicity. The Daily Mail ran a small news piece about the event in its May 17 issue and a picture story appeared in the Bournemouth Advertiser showing one of the participants, Pamela Jollife, on her bike. There was also a piece in the Bournemouth Evening Echo about Pam’s plans to cycle the 1,218 miles.

In Southend physiotherapists offered a message to visitors to their open day as part of the Centenary celebrations, according to the Evening Echo. Various groups have organised different events to celebrate the Centenary and of course enjoy themselves. Physiotherapists from Aylesbury were pictured in The Bucks

5 Herald at their barn dance; the Cannock 5 Mercury reported that local physio- ’o therapists were ‘putting their best feet =forward‘ at a charity ball; The Maiden-

head Advertiser told how Berkshire physiotherapists celebrated with an outing

& to the theatre. More than 150 physio- + therapists went to see the play ‘Time and Time Again’ by Alan Ayckbourne. Mean- while in Cornwall physiotherapists held demonstrations and displays of their work for GPs and other healthcare workers. A picture in the West Britain Argus and The Royal Cornwall Gazette showed the City Hospital Trust chairman cutting a celebra- tion cake while members of the physio- therapy department looked on.

In the Worthing Herald a half-page article looked at how the physiotherapy department at the Worthing Hospital had developed over the last 50 years. Other pieces appeared in Business Journal (Thames Valley), CotswoldJournal, Lynn News, Barnet Advertiser and Hendon and Edg ware Advertiser.

c

Update Employers’ Forum on Disability, 5 Cleveland Place, London SW1 Y 6JJ. 16 pages.

Produced by an organisation concerned exclusively with promoting the training and employment of people with disabilities, this newsletter contains many short reports about projects and developments for people with various types of disability in many kinds of work throughout the UK.

MS Management lnternational Federation of Multiple Sclerosis Societies, 10 Heddon Street, London W1R 7LJ. Twice-yearly. Started March 1994. 40 pages. Free - please send self-addressed envelope with 43p stamp.

The Australian editor of this international production, Peter Sheridan, aims to publish original and review articles, topical

comment, summaries of relevant meetings, scientific abstracts, book reviews, country reports and a listing of current events.

It is intended for medical and allied health professionals. The first issue contains articles on long-term management of multiple sclerosis, application of the Bobath concept to MS, clinical research, and rehabilitation.

Green Farm Magazine Reasonhold Ltd, Mariner House, 53a High Street, Bagshot, Surrey GU19 5AH. Ouarterly. 32 pages. f 1.95 per issue.

Natural health, diet, nutrition and skin care are the stock in trade of this glossy magazine, which is free to customers of Green Farm, a firm which supplies a variety of health foods and products. It

stands on its own, however, with brief articles on acne rosacea, nutrition for older women, Chinese weight loss exercises, arthritis (by Dame Barbara Cartland) and the American death ceremony, all at a popular level, in the spring 1993 issue, for example.

The Pacific Journal of Oriental Medicine PAOM. PO Box 417, Mullumbimby NSW, Australia 2482. Three times a year. Started Spring 1993. 64 pages. AS55

This journal incorporates The Australian Journal of Acupuncture and The Australian Journal of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It aims to bring together practitioners and authors from the Pacific rim, and is concurrent with The European Journal of Oriental Medicine.

There are practical papers on subjects such as asthma and decoctions, and others concerned with research and current literature.

Physiotherapy, July 1994, vol80, no 7