BAPO November Bulletin 2015

AHP Careers Fellowships Scheme now open – NHS Scotland

Closing date, 12 noon on 15 January 2016  applications available here

Working as a locum? - this may affect you

New price caps for agency staff working in the NHS

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/rules-for-all-agency-staff-working-in-the-nhs

FGM Mandatory Reporting – support pack for health professionals

For your information regarding mandatory reporting related to child protection

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fgm-mandatory-reporting-in-healthcare

www.nhs.uk/fgmguidelines

Launch of Orthotics report

NHS England has launched a report on orthotics this week. BAPO have been working with stakeholders to review commissioning guidance on orthotic services in England. This document was created by involved clinical commissioning groups and is a positive step in improving the knowledge of commissioners about orthotics and influence the way our services move forward in the near future.

http://www.orthoticscampaign.org.uk/NHSEreport.html

Launch of Improved Engagement from NICE

NICE is establishing an Insight Community which provides opportunities for you to influence the development and improvement of NICE products. You can do this by taking part in any of the following activities:

·   Focus groups

·   Interviews

·   Surveys

·   Website testing sessions

·   Online searching exercises

They only contact you when there are relevant opportunities coming up. So far, nearly 1000 practitioners have signed-up. However, there is low representation by social care practitioners. To ensure NICE can better meet your needs in the future, we would like to invite you to join in their insight community. Your contribution would be much appreciated and will help us shape the future of NICE products. If you would like to be part of their Insight Community, please complete the short survey here.  It only takes 5 minutes.

Launch of exciting new opportunity for funding research

This week Arthritis Research UK launched a new project with the Design Council - the Spark product innovation fund

Workforce Survey

Thank you for the 400 of you who responded to this survey. We appreciate your engagement with the process and the honesty of your responses.

Results will be available at Conference in March - hope to see you all there.

Spinal survey

A working group has been looking at developing national spinal bracing guidance. They are interested in finding out what you would prescribe in certain situations. Look out for the link to the first of their series of 3 online surveys available in December.

BAPO membership

It’s renewal time already. Please ensure you update your details and return your paperwork to the Secretariat before you miss the cut-off date.

EC Nominations

We currently have 7 empty seats on our Executive Committee and no practicing prosthetic clinicians.

Been qualified for more than 5 years and interested in shaping the future of our profession? Please drop me an email for an informal chat -  chair@bapo.com

Conference

Don’t miss out, only 4 days left to take advantage of the early bird rate for conference!!

Professional Affairs Committee

The Committee would like to highlight the release

of two NICE Guidelines, ‘Older people with social care needs and multiple long-term conditions’ and ‘Venous Thromboembolic Diseases (Standing Committee Update)’.  Link to the guidelines below:

NICE guideline on older people with social care needs and multiple long-term conditions

NICE guideline on Venous Thromboembolic Diseases (standing committee update)

Education

2016 Short Course Programme coming soon, look for further information in BAPOmag 2016 Issue 1.

Places available:

MSK Foot & Ankle – 15 & 16 January 2016 (Trulife, Sheffield)

MSK Foot & Ankle – 6 & 7 February 2016 (Tebbit Centre, Oxford)

BAPO December 2015 Bulletin

AHP Career Fellowships scheme still open for applications – NHS Scotland

Closing date, 12 noon on 15 January 2016  applications available here

AHP- A strategy to develop the capacity, impact and profile of Allied Health Professionals in public health 2015-2018

Strategy from the Allied Health Professionals Federation supported by Public Health England

http://www.ahpf.org.uk/files/AHP%20Public%20Health%20Strategy.pdf

Independent prescribing

Interested in improving the scope of care you provide to your patient? We are launching a profession wide consultation to debate the issue around prescribing and are inviting all interested parties to register with the Secretariat now. Please email enquiries@bapo.com or telephone 0141 5617217

Working in the independent sector-this affects you.

Under the Data Protection Act 1998 clinical practitioners who work in the independent sector are considered to be Data Controllers with respect to the data they process on their patients.
> If they hold any patient identifiable information then it is their responsibility to apply to become a Data Controller.
> Registration and compliance with the Act is dealt with by the Office of the Information Commissioner. Registration may be made by telephone on 01625 545740 or by internet at https://ico.org.uk Registration costs £35 per annum.
> It is a criminal offence not to be registered.

Population Healthcare Training for Healthcare Public Health Professionals

An invitation to join a free learning programme to develop your skills in implementing value-based and population healthcare

Public Health England has commissioned Better Value Healthcare to deliver a training programme for PHE, NHS and Local Authority staff working in healthcare public health, to equip them to make a full contribution to the transformation of healthcare envisaged by the Five Year Forward View.  This programme integrates with health economic training in PHE

For more details click here.  Event password: bettervalue

Training dates: 

·        6th January 2016 Birmingham

·        1st February 2016 Greater Manchester

·        29th February 2016 York

·        22nd March London

Interested in how NICE committees function?

NICE has opened registrations  for the public to observe the committee meeting for stroke will open on Monday 30th November 2015 on the NICE website.

If you would like to register for this committee meeting, please do so via the following web page:  https://www.nice.org.uk/event/qsac1_january_2016

Applications close Monday 14th December

HCPC launch practice educator standards

www.heacademy.ac.uk/professional-recognition/uk-professional-standards-framework-ukpsf  

Spinal survey

A working group has been looking at developing national spinal bracing guidance. They are interested in finding out what you would prescribe in certain situations look out for questionnaire number 2 ready now, link below:

Questionnaire No. 2

Professional Affairs Committee

The Committee would like to highlight the release of the following NICE Guidelines:

NICE guideline on Type 2 Diabetes in Adults: Management

NICE guideline Rheumatoid Arthritis (Update)

NICE guideline CG124 Hip Fracture: Management

Conference

Remember to book your place for the upcoming BAPO Conference & Exhibition at the Ricoh Arena, Coventry!

Education

Don’t miss out!

2016 Differential diagnosis MSK courses below:

15 & 16 January – Trulife, Sheffield

15 & 16 April – Halo, Wellington

Book your place now by visiting the BAPO website or contacting enquiries@bapo.com

BAPO Secretariat Christmas Close Down

The BAPO Secretariat will close for Christmas and New Year on Wednesday 23rd December at 1.30pm and will re-open on Tuesday 5th January at 8.45am.

Halo Medical - Peripatetic Orthotist - London and South East

Click here to view Job Advertisement

Ken Hall Vacancy - Orthotist and Assistant Orthotic Practitioner - South and East of England

Click here for more information on this vacancy.

Opcare - Orthotists, Various

For further information on the positions available please click here

Lifetime Achievement Award 2016

Flyer for Lifetime Achievement

Celebrating 10 years since our last award BAPO will be presenting one of our fellow professionals with a Lifetime Achievement Award. All too often years of hard work and innovation go unrecognised until we read about a retirement or sadly an obituary in BAPOmag. We are looking for nominations for Orthotists, Prosthetists, Technicians and Assistants who in the eyes of their colleagues have made a significant contribution to the orthotic/prosthetic field during the course of their career.

Nominees will be voted for in a postal ballot with the winner receiving the award during a formal presentation at BAPO Conference 2016 in Coventry. Closing date for nominations is 30th November, 2015. To nominate please complete the form below and return to the BAPO Secretariat, alternatively you can nominate by email to conference@bapo.com

New Zealand Artificial Limb Service - Centre Manager

Click here to view Job Advert

Guys and St Thomas- Clinical Lead and Head of Regional Orthotics Service, London

To view this job vacancy click here

UK Prosthetics & Orthotics Workforce Review

We want to hear from anyone with a qualification in prosthetics and orthotics.

The British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists (BAPO) is leading a review of the workforce in the UK.

This is the first step in a full scale review of our profession with 3 more surveys planned throughout the year.

Last year our profession was added to the national shortage list by the Centre for Workforce Intelligence.

From speaking to our members, the employers and reviewing the number of P&O professionals registered with the HCPC it is becoming apparent we have a problem with retention and would like to understand what the reasons are for people leaving the profession. We are also using this opportunity to capture the reasons people are continuing to work in the field, whether in clinical practice or another branch such as education or research.

We need to find out why people are leaving the profession and what we can do, in conjunction with the other key stakeholders, to reduce this trend and make prosthetics and orthotics a profession that people want to stay in for the long term.

So we are asking the profession for their help.

How many people from your class are still working in the profession?  If people have left do you know how to get in touch with them?  Please help us gather the information we need so we can then see what we can do in partnership with the universities and employers to support you and your colleagues in your chosen profession.

This will only take 5 minutes of your time.

Please read, complete the survey and then pass it on to all your contacts at work, old classmates, Facebook friends, anyone who once trained as a Prosthetist or Orthotist.

http://survey.bapo-online.com/index.php/469793/lang-en                                                                                                                                         
              
Many thanks for your help
Lynne Rowley
Chair of BAPO

Effects of ankle foot orthoses on body functions and activities in people with floppy paretic ankle muscles: a systematic review

Dymphy van der Wilk^, Pieter Ubele Dijkstra^, Klaas Postema, Gijsbertus Jacob Verkerke^, Juha Markus Hijmans

Highlights

•

Elastic ankle foot orthoses improve energy efficiency (dorsiflexor paresis).

•

Dorsal ankle foot orthoses improve energy efficiency and comfortable walking speed (plantarflexor paresis both with and without a dorsiflexor paresis).

•

Circular- and elastic ankle foot orthoses are more suitable for dorsiflexor paresis.

•

Dorsal ankle foot orthoses are more suitable for plantarflexor paresis both with and without a dorsiflexor paresis.

---

Abstract

Background

People with floppy ankle muscles paresis use ankle foot orthoses to improve their walking ability. Ankle foot orthoses also limit ankle range of motion thereby introducing additional problems. Insight in effects of ankle foot orthoses on body functions and activities in people with floppy paretic ankle muscles aids in clinical decision making and may improve adherence.

Methods

Studies published before October 27th 2014 were searched in Pubmed, Embase, Cinahl, and Cochrane Library. Studies evaluating effects of ankle foot orthoses on body functions and/or activities in people with floppy paretic ankle muscles were included. Studies solely focusing on people with spastic paretic ankle muscles were excluded. Study quality was assessed using a custom made scale. Body functions and activities were defined according to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health.

Findings

Twenty-four studies were included, evaluating 394 participants. Participants were grouped according to paresis type (i) dorsiflexor paresis, (ii) plantar flexor paresis, (iii) both dorsiflexor- and plantar flexor paresis. Dorsal- circular- and elastic ankle foot orthoses increased dorsiflexion during swing (by 4-6°, group i). Physical comfort with dorsal ankle foot orthoses was lower than that with circular ankle foot orthoses (groups i&iii). Dorsal ankle foot orthoses increased push-off moment (by 0.2-0.5 Nm/kg), increased walking efficiency, and decreased ankle range of motion (by 12-30°, groups ii&iii).

Interpretation

People with dorsiflexor paresis benefit more from circular- and elastic ankle foot orthoses while people with plantar flexor paresis (and dorsiflexor paresis) benefit more from dorsal ankle foot orthoses.

Source: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0268003315002545

Hand and wrist orthoses for adults with rheumatological conditions

The BAPO Professional Affairs Committee provided feedback on this practice guideline by the College of Occupational Therapists and subsequently endorsed it. It may be of interest to orthotists practising upper limb orthotics in this patient group. It was developed using a NICE accredited process and is available to download from the COT website at the address below.

https://www.cot.co.uk/library-publications/cot-publications/practice-guidelines

BAPO September 2015 Bulletin

BAPO Flagship Scheme

Are you proud of the service your centre provides? Does your team collectively work to high standards? Do you strive to improve the quality of care you provide? Would you like a scheme that acknowledges these achievements? BAPO will soon be asking its membership whether we introduce an accreditation scheme to acknowledge excellence. Look out for further updates coming soon.


Membership

A working group has been convened to look at membership of the Association. We will be coming to you soon to scope your opinions about the function of the Association and what benefits of membership you want from BAPO.

Workforce and Professional Review

Link now open for the workforce review - WE NEED TO HEAR FROM YOU!
Completely confidential and only 5mins of your time.  Please respond and pass onto your colleagues from your university years through to work.  We want to hear from anyone who holds a P&O qualification.
http://survey.bapo-online.com/index.php/469793/lang-en


Engaging with Students

BAPO is giving an introduction talk to 1^st year students at both Salford and Strathclyde about BAPO and how we can support them in their chosen profession.
We have several student volunteers on almost all of our committees - interested in joining? Give us a call.

Make Every Contact Count - Healthy Conversations
Check out this great resource to help us make a difference to our patients health.

Working in a NHS England Vanguard site? Your Professional Body want to hear from you!                                                                              


Short course update

Spaces still available on:
KAFO Stance Phase Control and Lower Limb Solutions – 3&4 October 2015

Assessment Diagnosis and Treatment of MSK Foot and Ankle problems for Orthotists -  5&6 October 2015 (Leeds)
1&2 December 2015 (Nottinghamshire)

FES: Advanced Orthotic Technology – 21 November 2015

For further information please visit the BAPO website at www.bapo.com

Professional Affairs

The Professional Affairs Committee would like to highlight the release of the NICE Quality Standard and amendments to an existing Standard:

Type 1 Diabetes

Diabetes in Adults


BAPO Conference & Exhibition:

Your copy of BAPOmag Issue 3 should arrive on your doorstep mid-October and will provide lots of information on Conference 2016.  We’ll have info on our exciting clinical programme, entertainment line-up and details of prizes and competitions running at Conference.

To make sure you don’t miss out on our early bird registration offers make sure you register between 1 Oct and 1 Dec.  Conference info and details on how to register are available at www.bapo.com

Opcare- Prosthetist (Manchester), Orthotist (Bristol)

To view this job vacancy click here

HCPC, Prosthetist/Orthotist Programme visitors, Various locations

For further information on the vacancy available, please click here

Steeper Job Advert - Principal Orthotist/Orthotist - London & the South East/London & Essex

Click here to view Job Advertisement.

Steeper Group - Prosthetics Contracts Manager, Various

For further information on the position available please click here.

Guy's and St. Thomas' - Orthotist, London

For further information on the position available please click here.

BAPO Bulletin August 2015

HCPC

HCPC registration time has almost ran out. Please ensure you have received your documentation and re-registered this year. If you have recently moved house and not informed them, the paperwork will be sent to the wrong address. This will not be a reasonable excuse for failing to renew your registration and you will be lapsed from the register.

Workforce review

Recently BAPO submitted evidence of our workforce called for by Health Education England.  It gave a good illustration of the issues in our industry but also raised several areas of concern including poor retention after training.

BAPO is leading a review of the workforce. Please look out for the electronic link to our online survey arriving via e-mail in the next week or two. The survey will be open for 4 weeks and is a start of a nationwide multipart review of our profession.

It will only take 5 minutes of your time. We would be grateful if you could pass it on through social media to your colleagues, old and new. With this survey, we are trying to determine what factors cause people to leave the profession and determine what we need to do to reverse the trend. Engaging with BHTA, our training universities and the NHS we will be forming a working group to come together to tackle the issues that are identified. Please respond as we want to hear your views it is completely confidential and we need to know what is happening to our workforce.

Education

Short course spaces are still available.

Differential diagnoses of MSK foot and ankle conditions

FES and orthotic interventions

Contracture management

KAFO 2 day course- conventional and stance phase control

Please visit www.bapo.com or call the Secretariat for further info.

BAPO Conference 2016

Suzanne Rastrick, Chief Allied Health Profession Officer, NHS England opening conference 2016.

Kevin Kirby, Dr Chris Nestor, Dr Michael Dillon to name a few! Registrations open soon; look out for the early bird offer *limited time only*

FES: Advanced Orthotic Technology

Click here to view more information on this short course.

Trulife Job Advert - Junior and Senior Orthotist Vacancies

Click here to view job advertisement.