Research

We are in search of a prosthetist who identifies as a woman and would like to join a codesign in the next month focused on creating design insights for prosthetics that better support women experiencing pregnancy, postpartum, and parenthood. The codesign would span an hour to an hour and a half in total followed by a short discussion with the researcher. You would be joining a group of women with lived experience of being pregnant and experiencing motherhood as a lower limb amputee and prosthetic user, a biomedical engineer who focuses on women’s prosthetic research, and the researcher conducting this study with the University College of London. Please email  renae.collister.24@ucl.ac.uk if interested

NHS partners and stakeholders are asked to contribute to a call for evidence open for six weeks until 7 November 2025, to support the development of the 10 Year Workforce Plan. The is to create a plan that empowers staff, delivers world-class care, and secures the future of the NHS.   

  

Examples of best practice and innovation across the P&O profession are required showing how they can be scaled to meet the 10 Year Health Plan ambitions. 

  

This plan aims to create a sustainable workforce that is fit for the future, ensuring the NHS has the right people, in the right roles, with the right skills, so that every patient receives world-class care whenever they need it. It will support staff to work flexibly, grow their skills, and feel fulfilment in their careers.   

  

The prosthetic and orthotic community must ensure its voice is heard we have a lot to offer that aligns with the NHS ten-year plan.

  

Please contribute to the call for evidence here: 10 Year Workforce Plan – GOV.UK

An important consultation is taking place, and this is your opportunity to ensure that what matters to you is prioritised for research.

The AHP Workforce Research Partnership (AHP WRaP) is consulting with those working in frontline services delivered by Allied Health Professions, or in AHP management, leadership, academic, or policy roles to find out what questions about the AHP workforce need answering by research.

If you would like to learn more and/or take part in the survey, please click this link: 

https://research.shu.ac.uk/ahpwrap/ahp-psp/ahp-workforce-survey/

We would like to invite you to take part in a short anonymous online survey exploring how registered prosthetists and orthotists working in UK clinical practice use gait assessment/evaluation. It is part of an important research project designed to build a clearer picture of current practice, challenges, and opportunities in gait assessment across the profession.

 

We are particularly interested in understanding:

• The actual and desired use of different methods of gait assessment
• The challenges and enablers influencing gait assessment use
• The perceived benefits of gait assessment in clinical practice

 

Your contribution will help establish a comprehensive and up-to-date overview of how gait assessment is applied in UK clinical prosthetics and orthotics. Your input is vital to ensuring this research reflects the breadth of experiences within the profession.

 

A pilot with clinicians suggests the survey takes approximately 10 minutes to complete.

 

Please see the attached participant information sheet for further details. If you have any queries, please don’t hesitate to get in touch (J.Reay@salford.ac.uk). 

 

Click on this link to access the survey:

https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/salford/final-draft-gait-evaluation-in-uk-prosthetics-and-orthotics-dup

The PGfAR funding opportunity opens for applications on 7^th October 2025. This is a ring-fenced call for programmes of applied health research designed to respond to NIHR PGfAR brief – ‘Research inspired by under-represented disciplines and specialisms to drive transformational changes for patients and the public’. 

Opening date: 7 October 2025 at 1:00 pm

Closing date: 2 December 2025 at 1:00 pm

For more information on this exciting opportunity for AHPs, please visit the website at: https://www.nihr.ac.uk/funding/programme-grants-applied-research-october-2025/2025350-2025351-2025352

Have you been involved in AHP placement delivery within the past 5 years? The Health Sciences University need your insights!

The NHS Long Term Workforce Plan aims to increase AHP training places by 25%, reaching over 18,800 by 2031/32. However, the challenge of providing enough clinical placements is well-known and has significant implications for the future pipeline of AHPs.

To address this, the Health Sciences University has been commissioned by NHS England to conduct a research study on the development and delivery of practice placements. This study aims to support the expansion of placements and drive a positive return on investment for providers by recommending innovative solutions to overcome barriers.

Your participation in this brief survey will help to gather valuable data on the Enablers and Barriers to practice placements.

Please complete and share the survey: https://app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/aeccuc/removing-barriers-to-placements-hsu

For any queries, please contact Dr. Michelle Holmes at mholmes@aecc.ac.uk

A referral acts as a snapshot of a patient’s experience and is written with the intention of continuing their care in an appropriate setting. However, the quality of information provided can vary based on factors such as the referring clinician, the format it is submitted in, and the language used. Often these factors are outside of the patient’s control. If a patient can then be rejected from care based not on their clinical presentation, but on the quality of a referral, it introduces an inequality to our clinical process. For this reason, we ask you to answer a short questionnaire to help us better understand any common trends in the quality of referrals sent to orthotics services in the UK.
We would love to hear from you if you are:
▪ An Orthotist
▪ Working in the UK
▪ Happy to share your experiences with clinical referrals

To respond, please either scan the QR Code: Or follow this link: https://forms.office.com/e/k5PFtgZ3YB

BAPO are delighted to launch ‘a poster presentation guide’ as a resource for our members to encourage and empower engagement with research. BAPO are committed to supporting all sectors of the P&O workforce to engage with research, including prosthetists, orthotists, technicians, support workers, students, and apprentices.

Click here to access a poster presentation guide in resources: https://my.bapo.com/public/report.aspx?memberqueryid=685E3D60-1639-4D77-9F66-F931F5C80B39&nodeid=B8491F55-7765-412B-B9D4-A29656132500

To access the guide:

1. Log in to your BAPO account.
2. Select “resources” from the top menu
3. Select “Posters” from the left side menu
4. Select the document you would like to download