Back to work?

Following the Prime Minister’s statement on 10 May 2020 which stated the government's transition to the next stage in the Covid-19 pandemic response plan for England, many people have been encouraged to return to work. As a Chartered Physiotherapist I am duty bound to interpret Government guidance whilst working within the legal, regulatory and professional frameworks that govern safe physiotherapy practice.

There has been communication from NHS England chiefs signalling a re-opening of some non COVID healthcare pathways, which may include some forms of physiotherapy. The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy have provided some guidance to help us make decisions regarding patient treatment within the frameworks by which we must abide.

Whilst we would love to offer you all face to face hands on treatment we must consider and weigh up the risks associated with this and must consider the following:

• Legal, regulatory and professional responsibilities

• Risk assessment of the working environment for which you are responsible

• Infection prevention and control measures

• Access to personal protective equipment

• ‘Virtual first’ approaches

• Patient risk assessment and clinical reasoning

• Patient consent for treatment

The 'Virtual first' means that every patients must be assessed virtually to risk assess and reason how they may be helped over virtual media and only when face to face outweighs the risk of virus transmission should a face to face appointment be considered. Therefore, please bear with us and contact for virtual appointments whilst understanding that it is not yet business as usual for chartered physiotherapists in the private and independent sectors.