The British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists

News

by

AHP Student research experience survey

HP Student research experience survey

 

Please can BAPO encourage students to share and complete the survey linked below;

 

https://forms.office.com/e/k24cPqxymR

 

Professor Chris Nester, Keele University, has been active in the national conversations in Health Education England (now NHSE) and REF and has  launched a survey of AHP student experiences of research on UK courses that lead to professional registration.  They are especially keen to hear from students expecting to join some of the smaller and less research active disciplines.

 

The survey will not ask for any personally identifiable information from the student, nor will it identify your institution. The aim to create a baseline measure of pre-registration student experiences as a case for future investment nationally. 

by

Calling all prosthetists and orthotists:

 

🤔  Have you joined the profession within the past two or three years?

 

🤔  Did you have a positive experience of being welcomed and settling into your first job  as a prosthetist/orthotist?

 

🤔  Are you willing to share your experience so we can help to ensure that others feel similarly welcomed and supported?

 

We would love to hear your experiences around: 

  • What helped you to feel welcomed and supported during the early weeks and months in your first job?
  • What was it that maintained that feeling as you became more settled and started to develop in your role?
  • What top tips can you offer to the employers and line managers of new graduates to help their new graduate recruits to flourish in their roles?
  • What are your top tips for new graduates entering the profession about how to make sure they get the support and guidance they need?

 

Employers/managers, we are also really interested in hearing how you have supported new graduates in your workplace. 

 

🤔 Are you willing to share your experience and advice? 

 

🤔 What top tips would you offer others to help them recruit, retain and develop their staff?

 

 We all have an interest in growing and developing the prosthetic and orthotic workforce.

 

Sharing what we’ve discovered and learning from each other is a powerful way of helping to achieve that goal.  

 

 If you are willing to be contacted to share your experience, please email enquiries@BAPO.com on or before January 5th 2024.

 

We’ll be contacting interested parties during January and will ensure this will be as positive and painless as possible for you. Thank you in anticipation.

by

Virtual Spinal Course for Allied Health Professionals by ORUK

Series date: 5 February — 11 March 2024
Time: Every Monday evening from 19:00 to 21:00 (GMT)
Venue: Virtual
Course convenors: Mr Michail Kokkinakis & Mr Gavin Spence, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeons

Orthopaedic Research UK is pleased to announce its first Online Course in Spinal Conditions for Allied Healthcare Professionals, presented by a prestigious multidisciplinary panel from spinal units in the UK and beyond. This course is suitable for all clinicians with an interest in spinal conditions, including nurses, orthotists, physios, osteopaths, occupational therapists and chiropracters. In six weekly webinars we will cover some of the most important topics in both adult and paediatric practice, including degenerative conditions and the management of spinal deformity.

All sessions will be recorded. You will be able to watch these up to 12 weeks post course.

Week 1, Monday 5th February: Assessment of the operated spinal deformity, problems arising and when revision might be considered. Guest speaker: Sriram Harish Srinivasan, Consultant Spinal Surgeon
Institution: Kettering Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

Week 2, Monday 12th February: Spondylolysis. Current concepts on definition, diagnosis and management

Guest Speakers: Jonathan Lucas, Consultant Spinal Surgeon
Laura Kenison, Advanced Spinal Physiotherapy Practitioner
Institution: Evelina London Children’s Hospital

Week 3, Monday 19th February: Adult Spinal Deformity. All you need to know

Guest Speakers: Panos Liantis, Consultant Spinal Surgeon
Rashida Pickford, Consultant Spinal Physiotherapist
Kathy Payne, Consultant Spinal Physiotherapist
Institution: Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust

Week 4, Monday 26th February: Neuromuscular scoliosis in children. The experience from a tertiary referral centre.

Guest Speakers: Neil Davidson, Consultant Spinal Surgeon
Kristine Gatti, Advanced Spinal Physiotherapy Practitioner
Sarah Gregson, Advanced Spinal Physiotherapy Practitioner
Institution: Alder Hey Children’s Hospital

Week 5, Monday 4th March: Degenerative spine – Disease spectrum and management options

Guest Speaker: Sandesh Lakkol, Consultant Spinal Surgeon
Institution: Health Point Hospital, Abu Dhabi

Week 6, Monday 11th March: Idiopathic Scoliosis in children. Braces, modern trends, national trials and myths Guest Speakers: Ashley Cole, Consultant Spinal Surgeon
Candice Sutcliffe, Paediatric Spinal Extended Scope Physiotherapist
Andrew Mills, Spinal Clinical Specialist Orthotist

We will provide delegates with a certificate of attendance.

Register here: ORUK virtual spinal course for AHP’s | 5 February — 11 March 2024 — Orthopaedic Research UK

by

Do you have a passion for tackling healthcare inequalities?

Have you wondered about opportunities to contribute to patient welfare and outcomes by pursuing clinical research?

A fully-funded, salary-matching programme is recruiting cohorts of AHPs, nurses and midwives to pursue research projects tackling healthcare inequalities in Leicestershire.

Could this be right for you?

 

 

What you need:
– To be a clinically active AHP, nurse, midwife or GP
– To be passionate about healthcare inequalities and research
What you don’t need:
– A Masters degree
– Any formal research training
– A specific project idea
The programme includes:
– The possibility to be seconded from your post to participate
– A continuation of your salary, along with increments, pension contributions etc.
– Comprehensive fully-funded research training
– Experienced supervisor support
– Team support from your fellow cohort members
What you can expect from this programme:
– To graduate with a doctorate
– To directly impact patient well-being and contribute to knowledge on healthcare inequalities
– To boost your career opportunities in clinical research

Important information
Eligibility
For full eligibility criteria, please see here: https://le.ac.uk/study/research-degrees/funded- opportunities/leicestershire-healthcare-inequalities-improvement-dtp.
How to apply
• In order to apply, please first have a look at the list of projects being advertised for the coming cohort. A brief description can be found on the application page, and more detail about the projects and the primary supervisors can be found here.
• For general recommendations on how to craft a competitive CV and personal statement (and also how to prepare for interview) please see our guidance here.
• Once you are ready, please click on:

 

 

 

 

 

at the bottom of this page and fill out your application.
Dates
Applications open: now
Application deadline: 31 January 2024
Programme start: 1 October 2024
Questions
If you have any questions about the programme, please email lhiip@le.ac.uk.

by

BAPO sponsors award at the 2024 Advancing Healthcare Awards


The British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists (BAPO) is sponsoring the Inspirational Innovators in Prosthetics and Orthotics award in the Advancing Healthcare Awards 2024 for the second year.

The Advancing Healthcare Awards 2024 is an annual event that aims to recognise and reward projects and professionals in the healthcare science and allied health professions (AHPs) that lead innovative healthcare practices and make a real difference in patients’ lives.

AHPs, healthcare scientists, and those who work alongside them in support roles across the UK are invited to enter the Advancing Healthcare Awards to recognise excellence and partnership working across the professions.

Commenting on the sponsorship of an award at the Advancing Healthcare Awards, BAPO’s Chair, Peter Iliff, said: “BAPO is delighted to sponsor an award to recognise inspirational innovators in prosthetics and orthotics in the Advancing Healthcare Awards 2024. Prosthetics and orthotics are the smallest AHP profession, yet they make a hugely significant impact on the health and wellbeing of the population.”

The BAPO-sponsored award is open to all UK-registered prosthetists and orthotists, prosthetic and orthotic technicians, and support workers. Nominations can be made for yourself or a colleague. The prosthetics and orthotics award aims to recognise and reward the vital contribution of the workforce, and those who have inspired the prosthetics and orthotics community through innovation, leadership, clinical excellence, passion, and research excellence.

Entries can be made until 7th February 2024.

The awards will be presented at a live ceremony on 26 April 2024 at the Victoria Park Plaza in London.

There are a variety of awards that are open to AHPs and healthcare scientists including:

AWARDS OPEN TO BOTH AHPs AND HEALTHCARE SCIENTISTS

• The Welsh Government’s award for value-based care: maximising the expertise of healthcare scientists and allied health professionals to improve patient outcomes
• The award for outstanding achievement by an apprentice, support worker, or non-registered technician in an AHP or healthcare science service
• The Rising Star Award sponsored by Chamberlain Dunn
• The Award for Creative and Innovative Practice

AWARDS OPEN TO AHPS

• The British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists award for Inspirational Innovators in Prosthetics and Orthotics
• The AHP Clinical Leadership award
• The Northern Ireland Government’s award for Partnering, Leading, and Shaping to improve population health

OVERALL WINNER:

• The judges select the overall winner from the category winners.

Enter a nominee here: https://aha.awardsplatform.com/
For more information and to make an entry visit: www.AHAwards.co.uk/uk/

https://ahawards.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/AHA-awards-2024_info-sheet__.pdf 

A message from last year’s winner, Clara Bailey, Orthotist

Hi, I was the winner of the AHA British Association of Prosthetist and Orthotists (BAPO) Award for inspirational innovators last year. 

Do you have a colleague that deserves to be nominated?  Maybe they are working to develop new processes to improve the patient experience or are working on a project to develop a new product.  They might be working with an allied profession to ultimately improve the O&P outcomes for either the patient or the orthotist or prosthetist. It may be part of their “day” job, or it may be a project that runs alongside it. They may be working as an individual or part of a team. 

Nominating a colleague or team of colleagues is a great way to raise awareness of their work, as well as make them feel recognised and appreciated. This can increase their confidence in the work they do.  

Receiving my award definitely contributed to me finally being brave enough to publish my book “Improving the Fit of Therapeutic Footwear” which has generated interest and feedback beyond my wildest expectations. I was a guest speaker at the BAPO conference in Farnborough and have had the chance to speak to many people about the issues relating to footwear provision, enforcing the importance of the work I have been doing. I also feel the award further substantiates me as the presenter of my CPD-accredited footwear course.

The award itself is presented at a fantastic ceremony and I was fortunate to attend and share the experience of being treated like VIP’s with my admin colleague Tracey, whose hard work behind the scenes allows me to achieve what I do.  It was great to meet so many inspirational people there and to hear about what they have achieved in their services.

I would really encourage you to nominate your deserving colleague.  They will be very grateful.

by

NICE: Interventional Procedures: New Guidance in development: IP692/2 Direct skeletal fixation of limb or digit prostheses using intraosseous transcutaneous implants

NICE are consulting on Interventional Procedures Guidance: IP692/2 Direct skeletal fixation of limb or digit prostheses using intraosseous transcutaneous implants soon. You can provide input initially by contributing your views on the procedure via an Professional Expert questionnaire, please email BAPO with any comments by 22/11/23

 

PE questionnaire – 692.2