The British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists

News

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Invitation to share experiences of the AHP educator career framework

Dear Members,

As part of the work that Beverley Durrant is leading for us on the Educator Workforce, she has secured a great opportunity for members to get involved with the next stage of development of the AHP Educator Career Framework.

Please see below for more information.

 RE: Invitation to share experiences of the AHP educator career framework

We are contacting you as you may already be using the Allied-Health-Professions-Educator-Framework.pdf (councilofdeans.org.uk) or attended the ‘Bringing the AHP Educator Career Framework Alive’ event in March 2024.  Whether you were there or not, you may like to be involved in the next steps of the framework development.

We are looking to conduct some short interviews to obtain people’s views and experiences of how they have used the AHP Educator Career Framework. This would involve participating in an interview that may take between 20-30 minutes via TEAMS at a time that will be negotiated with you but is likely to be in June 2024. 

It is very important to us that you have all the information you require about this project before you decide whether you wish to volunteer to participate.  Please do take some time to read the  participant information sheet and consent form below.

Consent_form AHPed v1 – 090424

Participant_Information AHPed v1 090424

If you have any questions (about this email or the attached information sheet) or are happy to proceed, please do reply with the completed consent form to any of the project team at Canterbury Christ Church University. If you are replying to agree to be contacted for an interview could you also indicate if you have used the AHP Educator Career Framework before and a brief description in what capacity.

We would appreciate it if you could respond to this request within the next two weeks.

We thank you in advance for your further support and look forward to hearing from you.

Best wishes
The project team.

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BAPO Regional Conference West Midlands SOLD OUT!

We are pleased to confirm that we are sold out for the next BAPO Regional Conference in the West Midlands.

The event is scheduled for Friday, September 6th, 2024, at the Tower and Hamilton Suites, Drayton Manor, Drayton Manor Drive, Fazeley, Mile Oak, Tamworth B78 3TW. You can find information on how to get there HERE

Our one-day event theme will be based on  “Sustainability in Prosthetics and Orthotics.” 

It will feature a combination of invited speakers and free paper presentations aimed at prosthetic and orthotic professionals. 

The program will commence at 10:00 am and conclude at 4:00 pm, with registration and exhibition starting at 9:00 am. There will be a 1-hour lunch break and two 15-minute coffee breaks in the morning and afternoon. All will be served in the room opening onto the exhibition area.

The event is targeted at P & O professionals and the wider P & O community. It is open to both BAPO members and non-members.

It is a great opportunity to enhance knowledge, support continuing professional development, network with colleagues, and engage with exhibitors in a face-to-face environment.

Come along to learn, collaborate, communicate, and share ideas!


Please note –  Oral Presentation:

  • Time limit for oral presentation is 15 minutes. A 5-minute maximum Q & A session will be allowed following the presentation.
  • All submissions will be reviewed by the BAPO review panel which reserves the right to accept or reject the application based on pre-approved criteria.
  • All submissions will receive a written acceptance or reason for not being included in the regional event.
  • We recognise and value the amount and depth of work which goes into preparing a submission. We want to encourage as many submissions as possible, which if not accepted, may be reconfigured for a future event.
  • There is a £200.00 prize awarded to the selected best oral presentation
  • The selected oral presentations will receive free registration to the conference.

Please note – Posters:

  • There will be an award of £100 for best poster.

If you have any questions, please email: enquiries@bapo.com

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BAPO Short Course – The Rehabilitation KAFO and Improving Manufacturing Outcomes.

Introduction:
The prescription of Knee Ankle Foot Orthoses (KAFOs) often presents challenges for those lacking
extensive experience, whether in understanding the rationale behind prescription, design, and
alignment, or in effectively communicating these needs between clinical and technical staff.
Additionally, manufacturing KAFOs can be complex, with technical staff sometimes struggling to
grasp various aspects of the process.


Aims:
This course aims to bridge the gap in information exchange between different professional groups
within the industry, addressing challenges stemming from a lack of experience and confidence. By
simplifying the patient journey and technical process, we seek to save time, money, and improve
consistency in practice and outcomes, both clinically and in manufacturing.


Learning Outcomes:
Participants will gain knowledge in the following areas:
1. Physical and biomechanical background relevant to lower limb orthoses and KAFOs more
specifically.
2. Understanding basic presentations and making appropriate design choices.
3. Applying principles of prosthetics science to KAFO design, including underlying rationales.
4. Considering social and health status factors in KAFO prescription.
5. Manipulating Ground Reaction Force (GRF) for optimized outcomes and increased stability.
6. Conducting assessments and making informed prescriptions and component choices.
7. Overview of locked, posterior offset, and optimisable stance stabilised KAFOs.
8. Manual shape capture techniques, including corrections and alignment.
9. Preparation of casts for ease of use by technical staff.
10. Building Line of Progression or anatomical KAFO designs.
11. Efficient preparation time shortcuts for technical and clinical staff.
12. Establishing an auditable trail in cast and orthosis manufacturing.
13. Conducting test fittings and implementing fitting tips and tricks.
14. Appraising existing KAFO designs and measuring outcomes effectively.
Intended Participants:


This course is designed for Technicians and Orthotists, with particular emphasis on the synergy
between Technician and Orthotist teams. Collaborative participation is encouraged to maximize
learning outcomes and practical application. Please note: This course is not available to Students.


Note: please bring shorts and the tools you normally use for negative model capture
(casting).


Faculty:
Dave Buchanan – Technical Director and Consulting Orthotist, Technical Director Becker-UK,
Becker Orthopedic International Consultant, TalarMade Ltd
Venue and website:
TalarMade Ltd, Edinburgh House, Millenium Way, Chesterfield, S41 8ND. https://talarmade.com/
Parking – there is a large car park around the back left of the building. It is free for attendees to use.
Please don’t park at the front of the building.

Date & Time:
Monday 10 and Tuesday 11 June 2024
Registration 08:30 – 09:00am on day 1
Start 09:00am, finish 5:00pm on both days
2-day course ticket includes lunch (30 minutes) and refreshments


Places available:
12 – tickets are available to purchase on our website – https://www.bapo.com/
Ticket Prices:
BAPO Members £435.00 including VAT (£362.50 excluding VAT).
Non-members £600.00 including VAT (£500.00 excluding VAT).


We encourage Orthotist attendees to apply online for reimbursement from OETT (The Orthotic
Education and Training Trust).


Applications can be made on the OETT website at https://www.oett.org.uk/
Requests for reimbursement must include evidence of reflective learning/CPD.

To purchase tickets, please log on to your BAPOnline account and click the KAFO poster it will direct you to the ticketing area.

Not a member? follow the link below and select “Non-Member Events Registration” once registered it will allow you to purchase the ticket. If you have any trouble, please contact enquires@bapo.com 

Purchase tickets here

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NHS Forest Awards

Do you know a healthcare site that has gone the extra mile with its green spaces? Recognise their hard work and nominate them for an NHS Forest Award! You can even nominate your own team for an award.

The NHS Forest team at CSH would love to hear about:
  • Innovative development of green space at health sites. What have you/they done that is new and different to enhance and make use of physical green space to enhance biodiversity?
  • Active community engagement. How have you/they involved community members?
  • Pioneering use of green space for health and wellbeing. What did you/they do, who was involved and what difference has it made to staff, patients or the community?
  • Collaborative green space projects. How have you/they worked across different departments, groups or organisations to develop green space?

Nominations now open. Submit nominations via the NHS Forest website: https://nhsforest.org/nhs-forest-award-nomination/

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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.