The British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists

Archives for April 2024

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Advancing Healthcare Award Winner 2024

BRITISH ASSOCIATION OF PROSTHETISTS AND ORTHOTISTS AWARD

FOR INSPIRATIONAL INNOVATORS IN PROSTHETICS AND ORTHOTICS AND OVERALL WINNER

BAPO is pleased to share the winner of the BAPO Inspirational Innovators in Prosthetics and Orthotics Award and The Advancing Healthcare Awards Best Overall Winner Award.
 

“Huge congratulations to Steve and the team at Sheffield Children’s Hospital for winning the BAPO-sponsored Advancing Healthcare Award and winning the Overall Award. A first fo P&O and a magnificent achievement. The project was so inspiring and shows the impact orthotic treatment can have for our patients”

Dr Nicky Eddison, BAPO Chair.

“BAPO was delighted to sponsor this award and Steve and his team’s achievements show why it’s important to celebrate their success. This groundbreaking work is changing lives which was also recognised by him winning the Overall Award. It was an absolutely joy to share this experience with him and to see the P&O profession being recognised in this way. Congratulations Steve!”

Sue Irving  BAPO CEO

BAPO would also like to congratulate the two shortlisted, Eileen Morrow and Cathrine Finlayson for their excellent contributions to the P&O profession.

The winner was announced at The Advancing Healthcare Awards on 26th April 2024 at the Park Plaza Victoria, London. 

You can view more information and take a look at photos of the day on the AHA website here

WINNER – Steve Hewitt

Spinal Clinical Specialist (Orthotist) at SCH (Sheffield Childrens Hospital), The SpineCorporation Ltd

Scoliosis management in SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy) patients

It was a great honor to be nominated for the Advancing Healthcare Awards, which has come about after 7 years of continued development into spinal bracing for children with SMA.
All of this could not have been possible if it wasn’t for the pioneering approach of the Neuromuscular team at Sheffield Children’s Hospital, along with the innovation and support within Spinecorporation. 

This started as a highlighted need for a more unique design for this complex caseload as we envisaged the longer-term issues we may face around spinal and postural management, with what was, in essence, a new patient group.  We have identified the key features within bracing that are fundamental to their treatment, and implementing my knowledge of more advanced postural corrective techniques in managing scoliosis have arrived at our current brace design.

We have been driven to produce a new treatment protocol and make it evidence-based, with early results being presented last week at the SMA world congress, and has led to a recent multicenter NHS collaboration, interest from several SMA charities, and attracting significant interest from around the UK and now internationally, as parents strive to find the best treatment options for their children.

    SHORTLISTED – Eileen Morrow

    Doctoral Clinical Academic Fellow, University of Oxford

    Research leadership: trailblazing contributions to prosthetics and orthotics

    I am honoured to be shortlisted for the BAPO prize for inspirational innovators in prosthetics and orthotics at the Advancing Healthcare Awards. This shortlisting represents a massive collective effort to advancing research in prosthetics and orthotics, and I am very grateful for each of my academic mentors and collaborators. As I continue my DPhil, I am excited for the future as I continue to develop as a researcher. Thank you for the recognition of my contributions. 

      SHORTLISTED – Catherine Finlayson

      National Operations Manager and Prosthetist, and the team at Opcare and Crispin

      Transfemoral sockets: it’s time to amputate outdated designs

      Hello! I’m Catherine Finlayson, National Operations Manager and Prosthetist, for Opcare. Having graduated in 2012 from the University of Strathclyde I have gained prosthetic clinical experience in a number of centres in England. I have progressed through my career in various roles by developing leadership and management skills as well as keeping in touch with clinical practice.
      Our project that was shortlisted for the Advancing Healthcare Awards focused on transfemoral socket design and technology and the utilisation of 3D printing for this patient group. Our project identified improvements both from the patient’s perspective and that of the service provider, but also in terms of environmental impact which is an area often overlooked in our industry. This, combined with the cost-effectiveness of the prototypes we developed, make it an attractive option which we hope can become the norm in our clinics.
      I would like to acknowledge the rest of my team: Melisa Hallan (Clinical Lead Prosthetist – Opcare), Les Street (Senior Technician – Opcare), and Elen Parry (3D Design Engineer – Crispin) – thank you all for your combined efforts and input. I hope that we can inspire others to develop ideas and work on projects to improve the outcomes and experience for our patients.

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        Level 6 Degree Apprenticeship for Prosthetists & Orthotists

        Registrations are now open for the September 2024 intake of our Level 6 apprenticeship.  This is a 3-year course leading to a BSc (Hons) Prosthetic and Orthotic Degree/ Degree Apprenticeship and eligibility to register with HCPC.

        Prosthetists/ Orthotists are registered healthcare professionals who use evidence-based practice to provide clinical assessment, prescription, technical design, and fabrication of prosthetic and/or orthotic devices.

        The programme has been developed to reflect key policies shaping the Prosthetic and Orthotic profession, the NHS, Health and Social Care sectors today with the skills and attributes needed within the workforce to deliver care with compassion and skill to ensure the best outcomes for patients and service users. The programme has been developed through close consultation and collaboration with NHS England (formerly Health Education England), Skills for Health, members of the Prosthetic/Orthotic industry, both private companies and the NHS and Prosthetic and Orthotic service users. 

        This programme is mapped directly to the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE) standards and the Health Care Professional Council (HCPC) Standards of Proficiency:

        • Candidates completing the Level 6 qualification, BSc (Hons) Prosthetics/Orthotics Degree/ Degree Apprenticeship, will become eligible to apply for registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) as a Prosthetist/Orthotist.
        • Gain essential practical experience within both fields of Prosthetics and Orthotics
        • Benefit from some of the best university facilities of their kind, including clinical skills suites and our state-of-the-art immersive suites.
        • Learn from a highly experienced and enthusiastic teaching team that provides full support to help you achieve your ambitions.

        The course is mapped to the HCPC Standards of Proficiency, as well as the IFATE standards, which makes students eligible to apply for HCPC registration on completion of the course.

        The entry requirements for the course are:

        • 120 UCAS tariff points which can be achieved through relevant level 3 qualifications including Access to Higher Education (60 credits: 45 at level 3 with a minimum of Dist: 15 Merit: 24 Pass: 6), A-Levels, T Levels or BTEC (distinction, distinction, merit)
        • Or Level 3 qualification in a Health and Social Care related course
        • Level 2 English qualification (GCSE Grade 4-9, GCSE Grade A-C, Level 2 Functional Skills English, Key Skills Level 2 Communication or equivalent)
        • Level 2 Maths qualification (GCSE Grade 4-9, GCSE Grade A-C, Level 2 Functional Skills Maths, Key Skills Level 2 Application of Number (Numeracy) or equivalent)
        • Health or care experience to demonstrate an insight into the professional values and behaviours associated with health and care environments.
        • Employers are responsible for ensuring apprentices meet occupational health requirements and have passed appropriate vetting procedures, which may include a Disclosure and Barring Service Check and Right to Work check. This is evidenced through the submission of supplementary evidence as part of the selection process.
        • Apprentices will have been identified by the organisation as being able to succeed on the programme, and employers may set additional entry requirements as part of the selection process prior to assessment for entry by the University.
        • Applicants must complete an occupational health assessment and an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check as part of the selection process and any offer made will be subject to these.
        • The apprentice must be employed in a Prosthetic or Orthotic Department and must have the support of their manager that they will be able to complete the apprenticeship. Apprentices can be either new or existing employees.

        For those in England, course fees for this qualification are covered by the apprenticeship levy if your company does not pay the levy then you are only required to pay 5% of the course fee or it can be gifted to you by an organisation that you work with such as the NHS.  For those in the UK, except England, there is a non-apprenticeship route, course fees would be payable by the employer directly to the university.

        More information about the course costs and levy funding can be supplied by the university business team (b.cope@derby.ac.uk).

        Applications will close on             26/06/2024.

        Online induction                           11/09/2024 (TBC)

        Course starts                                 23/09/2024.

        Clinical Skills Week on campus    TBC

        For more information on the course or to register a candidate please contact the course leader

        Jane Ansell

        Senior Lecturer in Prosthetics and Orthotics, Programme Lead, University of Derby

        j.ansell@derby.ac.uk

        07769671888

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        NIHR Research Learning Lecture series

        Exciting Upcoming Lectures:

         

        Health Economics in Clinical Trials

        Date & time: 25th April 2024, 1:00-2:00pm

        Speaker: Dr Caroline Clarke (MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL)

        Chair: Hannah Rush (MRC Clinical Trials Unit at UCL)

        Suitable audience: General

        Experiences in UK-US Fulbright Programme

        Date & time: 7th May 2024, 2:00-3:00pm

        Speaker: Prof Charlotte Summers (University of Cambridge)

        Chair: Dr Kiran Reddy / Dr Bronwen Connolly (Queen’s University Belfast)

        Suitable audience: General

        How to Secure Your Spot:

        To attend these enriching sessions, please register via the Eventbrite page here. You can also explore the upcoming lectures in the series and secure your place for future events in advance.

        For any queries or further assistance, please feel free to reach out to the Associate PI Scheme team at associatepischeme@nihr.ac.uk.

         

         

         

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        Separate pay spine for nursing – BAPO’s response

        BAPO has now formally responded to the consultation on the proposal of a separate pay scale for nurses.  The response from BAPO members was clear, they felt that the proposal to move to profession specific pay arrangements for the nursing profession would create divisions and create a sense of other professions feeling under-valued. Thank you to all the members who provided feedback on this issue. We will monitor the situation closely and report back on the outcomes of the consultation.

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        Symposium/consensus workshops on Repair of Assistive Technologies 

        Global Disability Innovation Hub would like to invite you to two day-long workshops on the repair of Assistive Technologies. Stakeholders from other academic and clinical disciplines related to, working on, or interested in repairs, waste minimisation, and product lifecycle (including but not limited to design, medical devices, regulatory aspects, sustainability, manufacturing, value-based healthcare, health economics, health policy, and health systems) are also welcome. 

        This event is free to attend and is in-person; however, overseas speakers can present remotely via Zoom.

        Two in-person symposium/consensus workshops (on 16 May 2024 in Salford and 21 June 2024 in London) are organised to explore the complexity of repair and maintenance of Assistive Products and how it relates to the rest of the value chain (from the industry, commissioners, and users under-represented by current repair strategies – to the barriers to optimising Assistive Products provision).

        • Symposium/consensus workshop #1: Prosthetics & Orthotics and Mobility devices [16 May 2024] [Location: Salford University (Media City Campus): Room 3.10 / 3.11, MediaCity B4, Orange Tower, Salford Quays, M50 2HE]
        • Symposium/consensus workshop #2: Wheelchairs [21 June 2024] [Location: University College London, Marshgate (UCL East Campus): 7 Sidings St, London E20 2AE]

        Registration link (to attend either or both workshops) is provided here with further details: https://www.disabilityinnovation.com/events/ap-workshop.  The workshop could cover travel expenses, if required. People are more than welcome to attend without submitting anything.

        Call for short presentations:

        Would you like to speak at the event? We would like to hear from people interested in presenting a short talk at either of these events. Please email a short proposal (~150 words) outlining your topic to b.oldfrey@ucl.ac.uk no later than 30 April.