Occupational Therapy News OTnews January 2019 | Page 56

message from the
CHAIR
As Chair of Council, it’s an honour once again to take stock of all that was achieved
during 2018. I can’t begin to tell you how proud I am of all the work that RCOT staff have
carried out this year, ensuring we continue to provide the highest level of service to our
members, but also and most importantly, how proud I am of our growing membership,
your work as occupational therapists across all four UK nations and the support you
provide each other as well. Thank you to all of you.
We undoubtedly saw a change in gear last year – our work is becoming more influential,
more doors are opening, and the visibility of our beloved profession is growing steadily.
We are successfully showcasing the value of occupational therapy far and wide – all four
national governments are engaging with us, listening to our messages and meeting with
us in person. In Scotland especially, we met with 82 MSPs in 2018 – that’s 64 per cent of
the overall number. Our Improving Lives, Saving Money campaign last year made fantastic
inroads into giving evidence of the impact of occupational therapy in a variety of contexts.
Our Getting my life back report especially showed how important the role of occupational
therapy is in the promotion of mental health and wellbeing and treating the individual
as a whole. It is truly inspiring to see our profession at the centre of one of the biggest
health issues of our time, and able to offer a practical and effective way forward, that can
truly bring change and better care for so many. We launched four versions of our report,
one for each nation, with many MPs, MSPs, AMs and MLAs attending our events. Our
messages are being heard.
‘‘
We have made fantastic
steps forward to secure the
future of the profession.
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