PhD Group

PhD Group

The Squeaking Mouse and the Roaring Lion MADAM - The Council of the CSP has pronounced that the profession is opposed t o the Government‘s proposals t...

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The Squeaking Mouse and the Roaring Lion MADAM - The Council of the CSP has pronounced that the profession is opposed t o the Government‘s proposals t o reform the NHS. I am not a lawyer, so I cannot know whether the Council acted within the rules of the Society in making this pronouncement; perhaps it did not infringe them. But its assumption of the right t o speak for us all on any political matter offends me. A painstaking effort t o discover the views Of members wouldhave enhanced the Council’s authority. Having m a d e the ex c a t h e d r a proclamation, the Council has allowed the stewards to embark upon a campaign against the reforms. The campaign clearly invites superintendent physiotherapists throughout the NHS to turn their departmentS into centres of propaganda against the policy of the elected Government. Such an attempt t o politicise our places of work is intolerable and may well be resisted by Area Health Authorities upon whose premises campaign notices are posted. Besides, perhaps the CSP mouse should

reflect before following the bad example set by the BMA lion. Once that lordly beast has secured its dinner, it is likely t o stop roaring and care not a fig for mice that squeak.

MCSP

HARVEY Sidmouth

Mr Toby Simon, CSP Secretary, replies: count;/ did not make its decision about the NHS on a political basis, The Society

examined each of the aspects of the White Paper separately, and our line is not one of outright opposition to all of them. Some are welcome, such as the extension of audit, for which we are bidding for a share of the funding. is up to members to decide how within the Rules of Professional Conduct and local po/;c;es - to pub/;c;se the views loca,,,,,

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Cystic Fibrosis Management MADAM - ‘Intravenous antibiotics at home in children with cystic fibrosis’ by Dr T J David is a paper recently published in the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine and reprinted in the June/July 1989 issue of Cystic Fibrosis News. The paper is essentially concerned w i t h the administration of intravenous antibiotics at home,

Reaching out to Normal Children MADAM - I would like to draw the attention of London members t o a lecture entitled ‘Fit children - Physiotherapists as advisers t o parents and schools’ by Vivian Grisogono M A MCSP in the Royal Hospital and Home, Putney on Wednesday, September 20 at 7.30pm. The video ‘Oh my aching back’ will be shown. (See Kingston ‘Branch News’.) I feel that physiotherapists should include chitdren as they proclaim their message that attention t o posture, exercise, and furniture enhances physical health. This may be achieved by involvement in schools and clubs. It also helps t o promote physiotherapy. The above lecture might give physiotherapists the confidence t o approach and talk within schools. The video can be borrowed from the CSP. Using a skeleton and X-rays, etc, and ideas from the other video made by Penny Slade, ’Back t o school’, I have found even sevenyear-olds very interested and retentive. (Their thank-you letters are a treasure!) ALISON BLANEY MCSP PRO t o Kingston Branch

Physiotherapy, August 1989, vol 75, no 8

b u t contains a paragraph relating t o physiotherapy. The statement made is highly critical of the physiotherapy services available t o cystic fibrosis patients, and states that many parents feel, because of the shortcomings of the system quoted, that treatment could be far more effectively given at home than in hospital. We as physiotherapists involved in the care of cystic fibrosis patients were most concerned w i t h the impression the article creates as regards current physiotherapy practice, and with particular reference t o the Cystic Fibrosis News, the implications of such a statement on the confidence of cystic fibrosis patients and their families in our profession. As w e felt the claims made in the article were not representative of the work in specialist centres nor the extensive role of t h e physiotherapist in cystic fibrosis management, w e have written to the editors of both publications and t o Dr David, elaborating on the service provided for patients, within our o w n hospital and that of the other major centres in the UK, w i t h the aim of correcting the unfavourable impression created. Perhaps the other centres specialising in the management of cystic fibrosis would care t o offer their views. ANGELA GALLAWAY MCSP ELIZABETH MURRAY MCSP CHRISTINE MONTROSE MCSP Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital ‘David, T J (1989). ‘Intravenous antibiotics at home in children with cystic fibrosis’, Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine, 82, 3, 130-131.

PhD Group M A D A M - We are forming a small group for therapists studying for a PhD. Occasional meetings will provide an opportunity to discuss common problems and t o present interim work both formally and informally. Anyone interested in joining the group is invited t o contact: CECILY PARTRIDGE PhD FCSP Centre for Physiotherapy Research King‘s College London Strand London WC2R 2LS

The John Heylings Medal M A D A M - The Northern Ireland Board of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy wishes t o draw t o the attention of all physiotherapists w h o completed their training at the Northern Ireland School of Physiotherapy, The Ulster Polytechnic, or The University of Ulster, the opportunity to submit a paper in competition for the John Heylings Medal. A medal will be presented t o a physiotherapist for excellence in a submitted paper. The founder of this award, Dr John Heylings, wishes t o encourage physiotherapists w h o trained in Northern Ireland t o document and ultimately submit their experiences, as practitioners, for publication. Further details may be obtained by writing t o me at the address below. PETER GOODMAN MCSP Honorary Secretary Northern Ireland Board c/o Physiotherapy Department Geriatric Unit Ulster Hospital Dundonald

Group Therapy for MS M A D A M - We have recently introduced a weekly group therapy session for people w i t h multiple sclerosis. I would be very interested t o hear from anyone w h o is treating out-patients w i t h M S in a group situation, t o discuss progress and t o exchange ideas on therapy. DIANNE REES MCSP Senior Physiotherapist Physiotherapy Department Bristol Royal Infirmary Maudlin Street Bristol Avon BS2 8 H W

Retirement Thanks M A D A M - Mav I throirah Your olumn t h a n k all those w h o -contributed so generously t o m y present on retirement as deputy principal of Leeds School of Physiotherapy. HARVEY STANDEVEN MCSP DipTP Leeds

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