Major breakthrough on safe staffing levels for AHPs

CSP is urging members to contribute to a review that will shape new allied health professionals (AHP) safe staffing guidance in England- a key non-pay win secured after the 2023 CSP strike.

15 December 2025 - 4:29PM

FL May 25 In the workplace feature titled NHS staff survey [Julian Claxton/Alamy Stock Photo]

Members have long raised concerns about physiotherapy staffing levels. The industrial action taken in 2023 helped AHP unions gain a seat at NHSE’s safe staffing working group, giving us the influence needed to push for national AHP safe staffing guidance for the first time.

NHS England has now commissioned the University of Worcester to formally start an evidence review that will feed into the National Quality Board’s (NQB) effective staffing programme. This is the first step towards creating guidance that requires NHS trust boards in England to properly consider AHP staffing, including support workers.

The University of Worcester is now conducting a scoping review across all AHP services in England and 12 service areas. This consultation - targeted at those responsible for AHP safe staffing within organisations – will gather qualitative and quantitative data on current initiatives, policies, education programmes and definitions of safe staffing.

Ash James, director of practice and development at the CSP, said:

Your action helped make this happen, now your evidence can help ensure the final guidance truly reflects the needs of physiotherapy and wider AHP services.

The CSP is encouraging members who are responsible for AHP safe staffing, AHP leads, and physiotherapy teams to share relevant evidence, projects, or unpublished data.

Submit your evidence to SafeStaffing@worc.ac.uk by 15 January 2026

The University of Worcester wants to hear from those responsible for AHP staffing about what outcomes matter most. While not every suggestion can be included, they will aim to reflect the full range of priorities so the programme’s outputs are meaningful, relevant, and inform the next steps.

While the final guidance will be for England, members in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are also welcome to contribute.

Ash James added:

‘The absence of guidance has meant physiotherapy, unlike nursing, has had no national benchmark for safe staffing.'

NHS trusts can’t deliver safe, sustainable care without taking AHP staffing seriously. Our aim is for the new guidance is to make that impossible to ignore.