ARC motions 2007/3

Secondary Agenda

45. This Conference requests that the CSP establish a source of financial and practical support to enable Clinical and Occupational groups to address key issues identified by the membership that are fundamental to practice.

    We recognise the role of CI/OGs in addressing and informing key clinical issues for physiotherapists within their areas of speciality.

    For example recently, the MACP funded an analysis of the issues around cervical artery dysfunction and manual therapy in response to the many enquiries received from CSP members. Addressing this issue enabled the MACP to advise CSP members regarding the best evidence based practice around this important clinical issue and raise the profile of the CSP both within and without the membership. This vital work is often not undertaken due to lack of resources including funding. Clinical Interest Groups Liason Committee

46. Conference calls on Council to instigate the removal of the phrase “no animals” from the back of expenses forms and to investigate an appropriate amount of reimbursement towards pet care fees. This would allow members undertaking significant work on behalf of the CSP who incur pet care fees as a direct result of that work to be treated in an equitable manner with those who have child care cost contributed towards.

    The CSP treats people who incur pet care fees less favourably than those who incur other carer fees. It is hoped this motion would ensure equity.

    There will be a cost to the CSP but this should be balanced with a greater ease of involvement of members. Scottish Stewards

47. Conference asks that the CSP Council reviews its NHS seats with the intention of making them more representative across the UK and provides them with a mechanism by which these members can canvass opinion in this key area, which employs CSP members.

    This Conference notes that most CSP Council members have a key group with whom they consult in order to inform the views they articulate at Council meetings. For example, those representing Boards, OCPPP, Educators, Students and Assistants have a clearly defined group whom they represent at Council. The NHS seats on Council do not have such a constituency and whilst views can be sought from colleagues, Conference believes this is not satisfactory. Welsh Board

48. Conference calls on the CSP to make every effort to try and ensure any potential corporate sponsors are aware of and fully endorse the health and social policies of the Society. Conference therefore calls on the Society to have in place a suitable validation process that potential sponsors would complete, prior to the signing of any contracts.

    While welcoming the income generation sponsorship may bring, there is concern that the need for funding would blinker the Society to the social ethos of potential sponsors. Members need to feel secure in the knowledge that any sponsor of their professional body does not contradict its policies by their busines sor financial activities. Physiotherapy Assistants Board

49. This Conference calls on the CSP to increase the CSP campaign budget to ensure we are in the best possible position to campaign on and influence the many significant issues affecting members in the workplace.

    With the NHS and physiotherapy on the whole experiencing so many significant issues and changes, we must ensure the CSP campaign budget is sustained.

    The pace of change and lack of staff involvement in current NHS reforms has prompted the CSP and 15 other unions to form a campaign alliance – NHS Together. Other serious issues affecting physiotherapists and assistants include service cuts, job freezes, redundancies, graduate unemployment and the emergency of social enterprise schemes.

    It is essential the CSP maintains its campaign budget to support members and stewards through these issues. Eastern Stewards

50. There are major world wide concerns with regard to global warming and efforts to help slow down the damage to our planet. We ask Council to consider increasing the provision and use of modern computer technology, the internet and websites, in order to reduce the amount of paper the CSP uses and sends out. We appreciate that equality of users is an important issue and that not everyone has access to computers. We therefore ask Council to seriously consider investment in IT, in order to provide key CSP members with lap tops. This will reduce the use of paper and help us to deal with green issues facing our world.

    All the CSP committees produce sheets of information, minutes and guidelines. The papers for Council alone can be 2” thick and weigh at least 1kg. All this information is very important and needs to be available, be it is often read once or twice, filed away and eventually discarded, into the recycle bin if we remember. Some of this information is already available on the website and also available electronically. Computer technology is now reduced to an amount where it is possible to invest for minimal cost. Some committee members already have them and may well be willing to use them. In cases where this is not so, key workers within the membership should be provided with both equipment and access to information. Council are already considering putting minutes onto the website to enable more rapid and timely information for members and this would just be an extension of the ethos. Whilst it is recognised that paper is appropriate at times, the ability to “opt out” of receiving hard copies must surely be a money saver in the long term. Eastern Board

51. Conference notes that a decade after the Disability Discrimination Act became law disabled people are still twice as likely to be out of work as non-disabled people.

    Whilst understanding that disabled people have the same rights to work where they chose we also recognise that many people enjoy the supportive environment offered by the Remploy factories.

    We ask the CSP to support the campaign to defend Remploy factories from closure and to lobby the Government to ensure that Remploy factories benefit from positive procurement strategies.

    The Government’s Audit Office issued a report which called for a review of how the Government’s finance was best used in the employment of disabled people. The Audit report was critical of the factory structures within Rempoly and stated that some of the present businesses were unsustainable. The workers at Remploy and the Trade Unions undertook their own review and disputed many of the Audit Office findings and strongly believe that these factories could not only offer a supportive working environment for disabled people but be productive successful businesses. South West South Stewards

Composite motion:

52. As a TUC affiliated trade union the CSP supports the TUC campaign “Greening the Workplace”. Therefore Conference calls on Council to draw up an action plan that:
    • actively supports this campaign at a national level and
    • empowers members to tackle issues such as recycling and energy efficiency in the workplace, including campaigning to increase the amount of material recycled in physiotherapy departments throughout the UK.

    London North Stewards, Eastern Stewards

53. Conference notes with concern that hospital inpatients are still being charged high rates for bedside telephone use.

    Despite an OfCom investigation, the prices charged for incoming calls by Patient Line remain at 49p a minute peak rate and 39p off peak.

    The ban on mobile phone use in hospitals means that these charges prey on vulnerable and immobile patients.

    Conference calls on the CSP to lobby the Secretary of State for Health to publish a review of the terms of licence and to be seen to be working with Patient Line to reduce high incoming call charges.

    When closing its investigation into Patient Line in Janury 2006, OfCom stated that the high legel of charges was a consequence of Government policy. This included the terms of the license set by the Department of Health. The license requires that:

    • the bedside systems are installed and operated at no cost to the NHS
    • systems are installed at every bedside even when uneconomic
    • providers install sophisticated, state of the art technology, capable of delivering clinical and administrative services for the NHS.

    It is hoped that a review of the terms of license will lead to lower call charges for hospital inpatients. London South Stewards

54. Conference notes that large numbers of physiotherapists are keen to respond to requests for aid and assistance following international disasters but find it difficult to access the relevant information on how to do so.

    Conference calls on Council to investigate whether a register could be set up to facilitate a timely response to international emergencies, and to compile and maintain the register, ensuring that appropriate links are developed with the relevant external organisations.

    Recent years have seen a number of large scale disasters in other countries such as the Tsunami and the Pakistan earthquake. These disasters have resulted in the helathcare provision in these countries being completely exhausted or resources and unable to respond to the urgent and ongoing needs of their populations. London South Stewards