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It all started when I typed “back pain, prevention, voluntary work” into Google, as I was trying to find something, to do with my return to physiotherapy qualification other than full time work, which just wasn’t happening for me. One key factor was that I didn’t want to do weekend or evening work. Umm! Then, soon after I was chatting to Nia on the phone and then reading her plans about the Helpline, and a few months later taking calls! Initially, it was still a juggle because my first shift was Sunday evenings and family tea was relocated from the dining room . . . then it changed time to half way through bath- book- bedtime while I added to my time constraints with Open University study for a certificate in Health Promotion. Meanwhile, as my children grew more independent, my hopes of returning to physiotherapy have diminished into the horizon. As outpatient physiotherapy has gone from strength to strength with the advent of specialist and even consultant physiotherapists, the graduates of much expanded training courses have flooded the job market. Now 50% of last year’s graduates are desperately applying for anything relevent such as assistant occupational therapy posts. And we ask WHY? The reason is a shortage of the level of qualified physiotherapists that supervise new entrants. So what can we do to help? We need to write to our MPs extolling the virtues of expansion of physiotherapy and seeking solutions to this gross waste of qualified graduates. For me, I find the opportunity to help others by listening and providing information on the Helpline invaluable, especially as I am now confident enough of not securing full daytime work to take a family friendly shift time! And I find both my life experience (am I that old!), as well as ex-teacher and ex-physio perspectives combine with my new health promotion understandings to come in handy writing information sheets in a way to empower people to help themselves (well I think so!). | ||
