UK Politics
Grant Crosthwaite
Description
Collection
Title:
UK Politics
Creator:
Grant Crosthwaite
Date:
3/24/1999
Text:
Mr Tony Barr has asked me to post an outline of how the prosthetics
service works in the UK. I am not sure how this will be of use to those
members of the list who work elsewhere but I submit the following in the
hope that it is useful to someone.
The Patient is the central consideration for the rehabilitation process.
This requires that there is careful assessment of the patients physical
condition as well as their hopes and aspirations. The social situation
they and their families find themselves in will have a bearing on how the
whole process proceeds.
The NHS (the Government) will provide any amputee who needs or would
benefit from a prosthesis a limb or pair of limbs designed to meet their
specific needs. This is regardless of age, creed, colour, gender or
ability to pay. In many cases a third limb can be supplied for special
applications such as sub aqua, showering, running, playing snooker/pool
etc.
The limitation to this, if it is a limitation, is that a clinical team
comprising any or all of: the Patient, Prosthetist, Physiotherapist,
Occupational Therapist, Nurse and of course Doctor (AKA Rehabilitation
Consultant) should agree that there is a likelihood of a sufficient
benefit to the patient.
The Prosthetist, generally, works for a private company which will have a
contract to provide limbs at a limb centre usually within a National
Health Service Hospital. These companies have a contract awarded to them
for periods of between 3 and 10 years depending on local conditions. The
terms of the contracts vary of course and each type of contract has its
supporters. The quality of work is controlled by the clinical team headed
by the consultant Physician who carries the overall responsibility for
this. Fiscal responsibility is the province of the Centre Manager
although we all play our part in making best use of finite resources.
On the whole I think this system works quite well but then I am not a
user. There is of course the budget to work to and this means some
compromise on occasion. For instance if an AK amputee has a sophisticated
knee such as a Mauch or an Endolite IP+ then the second limb may have a
simpler knee. The rational for this is that 99% of users wear the one
favourite limb all the time and would use the other for emergencies only.
As most repairs can be done quickly there is little point in having
expensive hardware sitting in a wardrobe when we can spend that money on
giving a sophisticated knee to someone else. Naturally these rules are
not set in stone and a young working man might well get 2 identical limbs
to minimise any downtime for him for instance.
There are variations on this model within the NHS but this is typical of
the type of service provision most amputees will meet in the UK.
The academic requirements for working as a Prosthetist or Orthotist in
the UK are amongst the highest in the world. Anyone entering the
profession today would require an honours degree from either Strathclyde
University (Glasgow) or from Salford University (Manchester). There are
however many folk practising who have qualified by some other route and
who are extremely good at their jobs. Most jobs advertised today require
that applicants be members of the British Association of Prosthetists and
Orthotists (BAPO) and of the Council for Professions Supplementary to
Medicine (CPSM). The CPSM is in effect a state licensure and covers other
professions such as PT, OT, and Speech and Language Therapists. To be
honest, the structures involved in these organisations and how they
relate to each other are labyrinthian and of no interest to anyone except
those who *must* deal with them.
I hope any of my UK collegues reading this will correct any mistakes or
omissions I have made in putting this information together.
Grant Crosthwaite
on 19/3/99 11:01 pm Tony Barr said:
>Certainly not all of your country's amputees have the financial resources
>to provide proper access of prosthetic components and services?
Cheers,
Grant
He who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose is no fool.
Jim Elliott (attr.)
service works in the UK. I am not sure how this will be of use to those
members of the list who work elsewhere but I submit the following in the
hope that it is useful to someone.
The Patient is the central consideration for the rehabilitation process.
This requires that there is careful assessment of the patients physical
condition as well as their hopes and aspirations. The social situation
they and their families find themselves in will have a bearing on how the
whole process proceeds.
The NHS (the Government) will provide any amputee who needs or would
benefit from a prosthesis a limb or pair of limbs designed to meet their
specific needs. This is regardless of age, creed, colour, gender or
ability to pay. In many cases a third limb can be supplied for special
applications such as sub aqua, showering, running, playing snooker/pool
etc.
The limitation to this, if it is a limitation, is that a clinical team
comprising any or all of: the Patient, Prosthetist, Physiotherapist,
Occupational Therapist, Nurse and of course Doctor (AKA Rehabilitation
Consultant) should agree that there is a likelihood of a sufficient
benefit to the patient.
The Prosthetist, generally, works for a private company which will have a
contract to provide limbs at a limb centre usually within a National
Health Service Hospital. These companies have a contract awarded to them
for periods of between 3 and 10 years depending on local conditions. The
terms of the contracts vary of course and each type of contract has its
supporters. The quality of work is controlled by the clinical team headed
by the consultant Physician who carries the overall responsibility for
this. Fiscal responsibility is the province of the Centre Manager
although we all play our part in making best use of finite resources.
On the whole I think this system works quite well but then I am not a
user. There is of course the budget to work to and this means some
compromise on occasion. For instance if an AK amputee has a sophisticated
knee such as a Mauch or an Endolite IP+ then the second limb may have a
simpler knee. The rational for this is that 99% of users wear the one
favourite limb all the time and would use the other for emergencies only.
As most repairs can be done quickly there is little point in having
expensive hardware sitting in a wardrobe when we can spend that money on
giving a sophisticated knee to someone else. Naturally these rules are
not set in stone and a young working man might well get 2 identical limbs
to minimise any downtime for him for instance.
There are variations on this model within the NHS but this is typical of
the type of service provision most amputees will meet in the UK.
The academic requirements for working as a Prosthetist or Orthotist in
the UK are amongst the highest in the world. Anyone entering the
profession today would require an honours degree from either Strathclyde
University (Glasgow) or from Salford University (Manchester). There are
however many folk practising who have qualified by some other route and
who are extremely good at their jobs. Most jobs advertised today require
that applicants be members of the British Association of Prosthetists and
Orthotists (BAPO) and of the Council for Professions Supplementary to
Medicine (CPSM). The CPSM is in effect a state licensure and covers other
professions such as PT, OT, and Speech and Language Therapists. To be
honest, the structures involved in these organisations and how they
relate to each other are labyrinthian and of no interest to anyone except
those who *must* deal with them.
I hope any of my UK collegues reading this will correct any mistakes or
omissions I have made in putting this information together.
Grant Crosthwaite
on 19/3/99 11:01 pm Tony Barr said:
>Certainly not all of your country's amputees have the financial resources
>to provide proper access of prosthetic components and services?
Cheers,
Grant
He who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose is no fool.
Jim Elliott (attr.)
Citation
Grant Crosthwaite, “UK Politics,” Digital Resource Foundation for Orthotics and Prosthetics, accessed November 4, 2024, https://library.drfop.org/items/show/211390.
