Letters: 18 June 2014

Feelgood factors

You only have to pick up an issue of Frontline to be amazed by how many proactive members there are.

For example, Daniel Roberts, a student at the University of Central Lancashire, organised a CSP stand at a health mela in Preston (page 9, 21 May).

What is great is that these types of activities are taking place across the country and all it starts with is a simple ‘ask’. Dan and I would like to present three ideas on how students can reach out into the local community.

Find the right person!
Through speaking with his lecturer at Preston, Dan was able to coordinate a stand and talk about what physiotherapy offers to his local community. Beyond the realms of continuing professional development, he learnt about his people skills and found a ‘feelgood factor’.  At the University of Bradford, where I study, students can volunteer at local support groups for Parkinson’s UK.

Whether it’s through a lecturer, your CSP regional forums or a local organiser, you may be able to find really valuable insights into health issues beyond the parameters of the normal clinical setting and perhaps at a more personal level.

Group together.
You don’t have to go it alone. Through using your course Facebook groups, emails, notice boards and making contact with CSP representatives, you will quickly find that there are others who also share your interest.   We have seen students put through their paces at ‘Tough Mudder’ courses; in the same way you can head out into the community and find something worthwhile.

Realise the demand.
I used to volunteer through a befriending role, which helps individuals to become more socially inclusive.  In time, I hope it something I can get back to, as I also remember the long waiting list for volunteers. Not only is community action good experience, it can really help those who need that support.

Whether you are a student or a graduate, be comfortable with the amount of time you can give and be proactive in taking the profession to new and interesting places.Piers Baker, student representative, CSP Council

Prompts please

As a physiotherapy student, I enjoyed reading the article about physiotherapy scope of practice (‘Scoping your Practice’, page 31, 4 June).

I was really impressed with the continuing professional development (CPD) opportunity at the end of the article, as it is really helpful to me as a student to be encouraged to keep up my CPD and to be given a framework with which to do it.

Although I cannot use the framework yet (having not been on placement), I am aiming to do so when the time comes. I hope there will be more of these prompts in future issues.Ella Jennings, student, Manchester Metropolitan University

Brilliant physios!

Thank God for the expertise and persistence of physiotherapists.

A physiotherapist saved my son today by asking for a review of a scan which revealed internal bleeding on his hip after a car accident in the early hours of this morning.

He was found to have extensive blood loss in his pelvic region and was about to be discharged with crutches when the physio stuck to her guns and queried the scan as she felt unhappy since he was in so much pain and very pale.

He has had surgery, three units of blood and is now settled with his pain controlled.

Brill, brill, brill. I just wish nurses were as assertive. The staff nurse mumbled that she thought he wasn’t quite right but said nothing which is no use, is it?

I cannot praise this physio enough and think your profession is often not praised enough.Fiona Marshall

Shaping up

We found your ‘Pole position’ article of great interest (page 34, 4 June).

Mencap and a number of organisations, including Postural Care Skills, the CSP and the Royal College of Nursing, came together in 2008 to form the Postural Care Action Group.

Together, we wanted to raise awareness about the importance of postural care – protecting body shape for people with complex healthcare needs and movement difficulties, such as those with profound and multiple learning disabilities.

People who find it hard to move are most at risk of developing body shape distortions.

This is because they often sit and lie in limited positions.

Failure to protect body shape can have serious consequences for a person’s health and quality of life. In the most serious cases, it can cause premature death.

This is why we need the NHS to continue to provide health services to adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities which focus on the protection of body shape.

As highlighted in the article, cuts to local authority budgets and the reconfiguration of local services mean that people with profound and multiple learning disabilities could miss out on vital postural care services that can significantly improve their quality of life and wellbeing.

It is encouraging to hear about the initiative in the article, in which a senior physiotherapist was able to address the loss of skills in postural management among health and care teams in the area.

While these initiatives are welcome, we must not underestimate the need to develop dedicated physiotherapy posts in postural care management across the country. Bella Travis, policy lead, Royal Mencap Society

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Did you have a lunch break today? 1/5 of us didn’t..
Serious implications for health says @thecsp via @BBCNews http://bbc.in/1uKNSRV  #mhw14

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