The Long Wait for Physiotherapy

Patients in England are waiting up to 27 weeks for access to an NHS physiotherapist, according to a report from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapists (CSP).

The report, ‘Stretched to the limit’, analysed statistics from an audit of 115 of England’s Primary Care Trusts using Freedom of Information laws, as well as two surveys of physiotherapy managers.

As well as waiting times of up to 27 weeks, increasing the risk of the patient’s condition worsening, almost two thirds of managers surveyed said that they did not expect to have sufficient resources to meet the demand for physiotherapy services, while 57 per cent reported cuts to patient services.

Nearly 60 per cent claimed that cuts would mean a reduction in the number of physiotherapy sessions a patient could receive. One Trust showed that budget cuts had led to a severe rationing of physiotherapy services, meaning patients were often forced to seek hospital treatment, private healthcare or simply endure the pain.

Post-operative recovery time is one of the top three drivers of absence among manual and non-manual workers according to the Confederation of British Industry and, for those unable to access a seven-day physiotherapy service, this time period could be increased following an extended stay in hospital.

During the winter months, more people sustain injuries following slips and trips due to icy conditions, which often require physiotherapy treatments to help alleviate their pain.

Researchers from the North West Public Health Observatory at Liverpool John Moores University discovered that the number of people in the UK admitted to Accident and Emergency due to falls on the snow and ice between 2009 and 2010 was 18 times higher than in 2007 and 2008.

A total of 16,064 were admitted to Accident and Emergency in 2009 and 2010, when the UK experienced severe weather conditions, compared to just 890 in the previous two years.

The Westfield Health Chamber Primary Health Plan, which is available to all members of West Cheshire and North Wales Chamber of Commerce, includes a therapy treatments benefit which provides money back towards the cost of physiotherapy, as well aschiropractic treatment, homeopathy, osteopathy and acupuncture.

The Chamber Plan’s therapies benefit enables employees to claim money back towards the cost of treatment provided by a qualified and registered practitioner who is a member of an approved professional organisation, up to set limits.

For more information, please contact Westfield Health on 0845 602 1629 or visit www.westfieldhealth.com/chamber