The Scottish government's National Health and Social Care Workforce Plan has been published and its commitment to expanding physiotherapy training places is welcomed by the CSP.
Kenryck Lloyd-Jones, the CSP’s public affairs and policy manager for Scotland, said: ‘It’s a shame there have been delays but the plan’s publication is positive news.
‘It provides a green light to both funding and planning to be implemented next year, and I look forward to working out the details of this implementation with the physiotherapy workforce planning group.’
Turning point
He continued: ‘This is the first clear and published commitment to specific physiotherapy workforce planning by the Scottish government since devolution, and it marks a turning point in the position and profile of the physiotherapy profession and workforce.’
The document also notes that amongst the allied health professions, physiotherapy has the highest vacancy rates, which Mr Lloyd-Jones considers a matter of concern but also a stimulus for action.
Plan's commitments
Other commitments in the plan include support for providing the balance of care in community settings, by delivering more care at home and reducing rates of admission to acute hospital services; and increasing the workforce by promoting recruitment into scientist training programmes and practitioner BSc programmes.
Commenting on the publication, Scottish health secretary Jeane Freeman said: ‘This is the UK’s first integrated health and social care workforce plan and it will be invaluable in helping us to anticipate and respond to the changing and growing demand faced by our health and social care services.’
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