Health professionals are calling on the Government to write off student loans of allied health profession graduates in exchange for five years service to the NHS, in an attempt to tackle the growing recruitment and retention crisis across the UK.
Chartered physiotherapists - currently struggling with one of the highest vacancy rates in the NHS - are joining with other allied health professionals (AHPs) such as radiographers, occupational therapists and speech and language therapists to lobby for a scheme similar to that in operation for teachers.
A fringe meeting to launch the campaign is being held at the Chartered Society's Annual Representative Conference in Birmingham on Friday 16 May [1].
Speakers will be Lynne Jones MP for Birmingham Selly Oak, Faz Velmi, member of the National Union of Students executive committee, Mike Phillips, NASUWT, and Ross Edgar, chair of the CSP's student executive committee.
CSP student officer and campaign co-ordinator Helen Russell said: 'AHPs have some of the highest vacancy rates in the NHS. Vacancy rates for physiotherapists have reached as high as 23.4 per cent in some areas of London [2] and at 5.2 per cent across England [3] are among the highest for any group of health workers.
'The average physiotherapy student qualifies with a debt of 8,000 GBP. They can then expect a starting salary of 17,115 GBP whereas the average starting salary of graduates is 19,600 GBP (2001/02). Starting salaries are predicted to increase further to a median of £20,300 in 2002/2003 [4]. The Government has made a clear commitment to increase the number of physiotherapists in the NHS by 59 per cent by 2009, and has increased the amount of training places on offer in an attempt to do this. However, qualified physiotherapists have many other options ñ including working in the private sector, and one of the ways in which they could be retained in the NHS is by offering to write off their loans.
'Ultimately patients will benefit in terms of more timely care, and if the problems of workforce shortages could be tackled the NHS would then become a more attractive place to work as people would have time to provide the care they know their patients need. Physiotherapists take a pride in their profession and will only stay if they can carry out their work to their satisfaction.'
The campaign originated from a motion to ARC last year. Following the fringe meeting, the professional bodies will be seeking face to face discussion with ministers as part of wider action to drive the campaign forward.
[1] The CSP's Annual Representative Conference takes place at the Holiday Inn,
Birmingham on May 15,16 and 17. A broad range of issues that affect, or are of concern to physiotherapists, will be debated during the three-day event. The student loan repayment campaign launch takes place at 6.30pm on Friday 16 May, Henley Room, Holiday Inn.
[2] Barnet , Enfield and Haringey HA, DoH Vacancy Survey, March 2002
[3] DoH Vacancy Survey, March 2002
[4] Association of Graduate Recruiters News 15/07/02
Ends
Media information:
For further information, or to request a media pass or interview, contact the CSP press office on 020 7306 6616 / 28. During the conference, contact Raquel Simpson on 07786 332 198 or Jennie Edmondson on 07786 332 197.
A full list of motions is available on request - All media should report to the registration desk on arrival
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy is the professional, educational and trade union body for the country's 40,000 chartered physiotherapists, physiotherapy students and assistants.
A full archive of earlier CSP press releases can be found in the archive of this media section.
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