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European Colleagues Wish the CSP A Happy Birthday

The Standing Liaison Committee of Physiotherapists in the EC was delighted to hold its general meeting in Birmingham in September. There were delegates representing 18 countries, including EC member States and EFTA countries. They enjoyed warm and generous hospitality from the Chartered Society of Physio- therapy and joined in the Centenary celebrations, presenting birthday gifts and greetings from all parts of Europe. These reflected their esteem for the CSP and recognised the high professional standards maintained in the UK.

Mr K Collins MEP, chairman of the EC Committee on Environment, Public Health and Consumer Protection, was invited to speak on public health issues as perceived in a European context. It is important to consider a European health policy and the SLCP hopes to develop this concept to produce an SLCP health policy.

The recently published SLCP report on ‘Post-basic Physiotherapy Education in the EC’ has been recognised as valuable information for those concerned with education, career development and migration. It is proposed to hold a SLCP conference on basic physiotherapy education in March 1995, to examine the development and trends in physiotherapy education.

Migration directives and procedures are still one of the main concerns of the SLCP, and patterns of migration are being noted. Current work is being done to establish the job profile of the physiotherapist in the EC. This is a complex task because of differences in the practice of physiotherapy including variations in regulations, patterns

Nisabeth Haase, president of the SLCP, speaking at the Congress dinner

and distribution of health care services and the level of autonomy.

The roles of the SLCP and WCPT- Europe were reviewed and it was recognised that important work was being achieved at international level. However, care should be taken to avoid duplication and ways of facilitating closer co-operation are being considered. The CSP continues to support the SLCP and plays an active role in the executive committee, working groups and conferences.

European colleagues look forward to working together towards the next 100 years.

Julia Botteley MCSP

Update By the time this item appears, we will know whether one of the MPs whose name was drawn in the November 24 ballot for Private Members’ Bills is prepared to introduce a Bill to protect the titles ‘physiotherapist’ and ‘physical therapist’.

If we have an MP on board, we will be over the most difficult hurdle, the parliamentary equivalent of the national lottery. From now on, it will be a matter of briefing MPs, finalising the draft Bill itself, trying to tease out the official Department of Health line, and halping to ensure a smooth passage through Parliament.

If we have not managed to find an MP - and they are bombarded by all sorts of organisations with worth-while Bills of

their own - we will either have to focus on a House of Lords approach or put further pressure on the Government to review the 1960 Professions Supple- mentary to Medicine Act.

Meanwhile, the campaign goes on. ITN’s News at Ten is very interested in running an item on the issue and the CSP Public Relations Department is working closely with it on this. Round the country, individuals and Branches have continued to maintain a high profile. Recent successes include a letter in the Western Telegraph in reponse to an article about a beauty therapist manipulating some- one’s leg: the letter was signed by four chartered physiotherapists at Withybush General Hospital, Haverfordwest. They were M McCoy, F C Jenkins, M Pullin and E A Fowler. The Chichester Branch’s warning about bogus physiotherapists was given plenty of space in the Chichesfer Observer; Branch chairman Sue Chaplain- Smith was quoted at length.

Finally, the Yellow Advertiser in Basildon carried a letter from Stuart Skyte, CSP director of public relations, in response to an article about a massage agency which purported to be a physiotherapy employ- ment agency. As he said, ‘chartered physiotherapists certainly use massage, but masseurs don’t give physiotherapy’.

CPSM proceedings ~~

Meeting, October 10, 1994 Membership of Council

Professor Judith Adams FRCR FRCP had been appointed by the Department of Health and was welcomed to her first meeting.

Education The Council received a precis and

extracts from the final report on education commissioning and noted the proposed establishment of Regional Education and Development Groups and consortia of purchasers.

The CSPM will be considering ways in which dialogue can be established with the new Regional Outposts of the NHS Executive on matters relating to education.

Review of PSM Act The CPSM has commissioned work by

parliamentary agents on preparation of a revised statute. A working party has now been established to consider the draft prepared. The commissioning of a back- ground study on issues influencing the regulation of the professions supplement- ary to medicine from the Nuffield Institute is under consideration. It is hoped that this work will help set the agenda for change and influence Ministerial consideration of the role of the Act in ensuring informed public public choice of qualified staff.

Elections The Council has endorsed the change

to new election procedures to the Boards whereby candidates will be able to submit a photograph and an address of up to 100 words to be dispatched with voting papers. This follows the General Medical Council’s success in introducing such a scheme earlier this year. (It is not yet clear which will be the first Board election to be run on this basis some time in 1995.)

Public Relations Council approved the text of a brochure

designed to raise awareness of the work of Council and Boards and the significance and importance of State Registration for informed public choice.

Registration The current number of registrants for

each profession as at September 23, 1994 (with comparable figures for 1993) was noted:

Profession Currently Registered 1994 1993

Chiropodists 7,314 7,175 Dietitians 3,740 3,529 Medical laboratory

scientific officers 21,277 21,131 Occupational

therapists 15,261 14,474 Orthoptists 1,087 1,079 Physiotherapists 25,805 24,944 Radiographers 17,824 17,393 Totals 92,308 89,725

Physiotherapy, December 1994, voI80, no 12