Occupational Therapy News OTnews April 2019 | Page 12

NEWS
NEWS IN BRIEF
Westminster debate on HCPC fees hike
£16
Dr Michael Brady, the medical director from the Terrence
Higgins Trust and an HIV consultant at King’s College
Hospital, has been appointed the NHS’s first clinical
adviser on LGBT issues. The role will lead on improving
professionals’ awareness of LGBT issues and working
with both physical and mental health services. LGBT are
more likely to experience mental health problems than the
general population. The role, alongside a new advisory
panel, will help deliver the cross-department LGBT Action
Plan launched by government last summer. MPs have debated the
£16 rise in Health and
Care Professions Council
(HCPC) registration fees,
due to come into force in
October. Over 120 MPs
from across the political
spectrum have signed
a motion calling for the
HCPC to reconsider the rise.
Jim Cunningham, the Labour MP for Coventry South who
sponsored the motion, called the government ‘irresponsible’
for suggesting HCPC’s independence meant they would not
intervene.
Other MPs asked HCPC to consider suggestions from
Unison to avoid the 18 per cent increase in fees.
The plans have also been criticised for charging part-
time and full-time staff the same fee. The Westminster
Government is writing to HCPC to review the issue and
said the regulator would be pushed to provide ‘complete
transparency and accountability’ on where the additional
money will be spent.
The Scottish Government has also said it will be
contacting HCPC to understand its motivations.
Find out more about the MP motion at: www.bit.ly/2VndCq5.
TWO NEW RCOT COUNCIL MEMBERS
APPOINTED Health Education England launch
new AHP careers resource
SLASHED NHS CPD BUDGETS SLATED
FOR RESTORATION IN NEXT FIVE YEARS
Continuing professional development funding for NHS
staff in England should be restored over the coming years,
according to comments by the NHS England chief executive
Simon Stevens reported in the Health Service Journal. The
restoration will be phased over five years. Health Education
England says there will not be any detail on workforce
budgets until the next spending review in the autumn.
FIRST NHS NATIONAL ADVISER FOR
LGBT HEALTH APPOINTED
Two appointments have been made to RCOT’s council.
Dr Duncan Pentland takes the seat as the council member
for the RCOT Board: Research and Development, while
Deborah Reilly takes up the industrial relations seat. Both
will start their term at RCOT’s annual general meeting
in June. An announcement on a new chair of council
will follow later in the year. More information is available
at: www.bit.ly/2vQjXPB.
PIP AND CHILD DLA TO BE DITCHED IN
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT PLANS
The Scottish Government is consulting on the benefits
support given to disabled children and adults ahead of the
devolution of some benefits to Holyrood in April next year.
The plans foresee a new system that will replace several
benefits, including the child disabled living allowance and
personal independence payments, and change the way
that benefits are assessed. That includes the end of repeat
reviews for people with fluctuating health conditions.
Members can send comments to [e-mail] by
28 May to contribute to RCOT’s response. More information
is available at: www.bit.ly/2ULKetD.
12 OTnews April 2019
A new e-learning careers resource for allied health
professionals has been launched by Health Education England.
The resource, which is still in development, covers
eight core areas for building careers, including digital
transformation, research and public health opportunities. It
features a wide range of career videos from leading allied
health professionals, and information on all the existing
schemes available to support staff.
Occupational therapists featured include Kent County
Council’s principal occupational therapist Jane Miller, health
and social care coordinator at Greater Manchester Fire and
Rescue Service Paula Breeze, Sport for Confidence co-
founder Lyndsey Barrett and England’s chief allied health
professions officer Suzanne Rastrick.
Dr Stephanie Tempest, RCOT professional development
manager, said: ‘It is always welcome to see more resources
to help our members plan their careers – and it is great to see
that Health Education England recommend using our own
career development framework too.’
Health Education England’s resource is available at:
www.e-lfh.org.uk/allied-health-professionals. The RCOT
Career Development Framework is available at: www.rcot.
co.uk/cpd-rcot.