has anyone remembered the large part physiotherapists have played in this virus?

[CrowdedHouseinQuarantine]

it is not all about the nurses and doctors.
i fear they have been forgotten yet they are exceedingly important, as are speech therapists.

Oh and our trust have fought really hard against staff working from home, preferring us to do our office based work in small offices where social
distancing is a joke.

While we have an audience of AHPs - can you all think about how you will be able to support student placements moving forwards please?

There's a predicted shortfall in a few years of AHPs (particularly OT and physio) and if they can't get placements, they won't be able to graduate.

@feelingfragile we take students when we have staffing levels to support them. At the moment all our placements have been suspended as part of the Covid plan.

(Of which my immediate team have no control over)

I appreciate that, but would ask you to be proactive in looking at how you can start supporting students ASAP.

There's going to be a huge deficit of new staff graduating in a year or two, at a time when AHPs are going to be hugely in demand.

feeling I was really disappointed that I couldn't have a student for one of the catch up placements, but sitting on a settee next to me won't be of much benefit

Will have one later on though, but yes I agree placements really need to happen.

fragile are you a student or in academia?

Academic.

There's some great ideas around to support placements in different ways. Splitting placements so they do half a week each and work on projects in the other half. Sitting in on assessments remotely. Long arm supervision. Simulation.

I just feel like sometimes people are so busy getting on with the firefighting that students move down the list of priorities (understandably), but there really is going to be an issue soon if we don't start working on solutions. I know people think I'm a pain in the neck asking all the time,

I would love to have a student. I have only been qualified 1 year. I had one for the day and really enjoyed it! However I am junior in my team and not privy to the arrangements!! I would worry about moving from clinical placements. I did a project one and would have preferred a standard one. I felt uni doesn't prepare too well for the practical side. It is basically a lot of learn on the job which makes for a gruelling first post. However I am enjoying it now and it is very rewarding. If I get chance to push for students I will!

Thank you @PinkPupZ

feeling it seems like you have some good ideas, I think at the moment practitioners are so focused on the right now that they can't even think about the next month, let alone even further forward.

I am both the coordinator and FE, and I am limited in what I can offer (for various reasons), wish I could do more though.