The British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists

News

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Mental Health Awareness Week

The theme for this year’s mental health awareness week is anxiety. Pressures such as exams, work, relationships, life events, starting a new job, or unemployment can create feelings of anxiety. In addition to the standard life stresses, we are recovering from the impact of Covid-19 as well as dealing with a cost-of-living crisis.

The mental health foundation commissioned a survey in November 2022, they surveyed 3000 adults aged 18 and over and found that 29% of adults experienced stress, 34% experienced anxiety and 10% said they felt hopeless because of financial worries during the previous month.[1]

We can all experience anxiety, however if it escalates it can become a mental health issue, therefore ways to deal with anxiety can improve our mental health.

The mental health foundation has complied a list of helpful strategies to combat anxiety including breathing techniques, mindfulness, movement, and reflection in this link. MHAW23-coping-with-anxiety-tips.pdf (mentalhealth.org.uk)

Those who manage staff play a key role in improving workplace wellbeing, parity of esteem is valuing mental health on a par with physical health, this can increase employee resilience and engagement and reduce sickness absence rates. Mental ill health, musculoskeletal injuries, stress and acute medical conditions are the most common causes of long-term absence (four weeks or more) from the CIPD health and wellbeing at work survey.[2]

Katie Prosser’s 2019 Orthotic job satisfaction survey, indicated that both NHS and company orthotists face similar issues of attrition, feeling undervalued and high workload pressures. The strongest predicting variable for intent to leave was how well orthotists feel they were treated by their employer.[3] 

A Leeds university review into effective treatment and prevention of burnout and stress found that organisational interventions produce longer-lasting effects than individual approaches, with changes to workload or working practices appearing to reduce stressors and factors that can lead to burnout.[4]

Mental health first aid England have produced a guide for line managers to use as part of their toolkit in supporting employees.

Line Managers Resource Screen.pdf (windows.net)

 

[1] Stress, anxiety and hopelessness over personal finances widespread across UK – new mental health survey | Mental Health Foundation

[2] Health and wellbeing at work 2021: survey report (cipd.org)

[3]Job satisfaction among NHS and private orthotists: a cross-sectional comparative study | Request PDF (researchgate.net)

[4] 25022016_Burnout_Rapid_Review_2015709.pdf (publishing.service.gov.uk)

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Opportunity to to appoint an advanced clinical practitioner to the Diploma in Geriatric Medicine (DGM) examination board

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is seeking to appoint an advanced clinical practitioner to the Diploma in Geriatric Medicine (DGM) examination board.


The DGM is developed and delivered by the RCP Assessment Unit on behalf of the RCP and British Geriatrics Society (BGS). The DGM examination currently takes place as one knowledge-based assessment (KBA) and two clinical assessment periods annually. The KBA is a three-hour, 100 single best answer, assessment, whilst the clinical examination is a four station OSCE.

Read more here

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Opportunities to appoint two advanced clinical practitioners for Diploma in Geriatric Medicine Development (DGM)

The Royal College of Physicians (RCP) is seeking to appoint two Advanced Clinical Practitioners (ACPs) to the Diploma in Geriatric Medicine (DGM) development group.
The DGM is developed and delivered by the RCP Assessment Unit on behalf of the RCP and British Geriatrics Society (BGS). The DGM examination currently takes place as one knowledge-based assessment (KBA) and two clinical assessment periods annually. The KBA is a three-hour, 100 single best answer, assessment, whilst the clinical examination is a four station OSCE.

Read more here

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University of Plymouth : Preparedness for Practice Research – Study Participation

The University of Plymouth is undertaking research on preparedness for practice, on behalf of the HCPC. As part of this work, they are inviting HCPC stakeholders such as yourselves to take part in a study on HCPC Registrants’ Preparedness for Practice.
 
The work is helping us recognise any areas where additional support may be needed by students and newly qualified registrants. The research will help us to:
  • Develop resources for students and newly qualified registrants (learning materials, guidance documents, learning events, etc)
  • Better engage with education providers to enable them to address areas of challenge through their education programmes
  • Improve our work with employers and professional bodies to ensure additional support is provided where possible; 
  • Provide useful insights for our upcoming review Standards for Education and Training.

 This is an important piece of research that will help us to better understand and improve areas where additional support may be needed for newly qualified HCPC registrants. We hope that you will consider taking part. The requirements are:

  • HCPC registrants who have been practising between 6-18 months about their preparedness for practice.
  • Practice placement supervisors who have supervised students on their first clinical placement
  • Employers who have employed newly qualified HCPC registrants in the past year
  • Commitment to approximately 30 mins for an interview.
Please take time to read the information sheets carefully before deciding whether or not to participate. If you are interested in taking part, please complete the online consent form which is available here. The research team will then contact you to ask you to complete a short online questionnaire and to arrange a convenient time to conduct a research interview (via Microsoft Teams).
 
If you have any questions in the meantime or require more information, then please do not hesitate to contact the Principal Investigator Dr Nicola Brennan at the following e-mail address nicola.brennan@plymouth.ac.uk.