Occupational Therapy News OTnews November 2019 | Page 6

NEWS
The big impacts made by small changes celebrated by members during
RCOT Occupational Therapy Week
Members up and down the country have celebrated RCOT Occupational
Therapy Week this November, promoting the profession to colleagues and
the public.
At time of going to press, over 450 members had submitted their stories
to a digital story wall on the RCOT website to share the small changes they
had made to create big impacts for the people they work with.
Members planned over 2,800 events, which were estimated to engage
over 40,000 people. That included hundreds of members who planned to
contact the local press or political representatives.
There will be full coverage of member activity in December’s OTnews, and
members can still submit and read stories at:
www.rcot.co.uk/otweek.
2,800
EVENTS PLANNED FOR
OCCUPATIONAL
THERAPY WEEK
Rules eased on recruiting occupational therapists from overseas
overstretched health and care workforce, we also need a short-term solution. With vacancy rates at around 14 per cent, managers
will now be able to recruit internationally without having to advertise in the UK first, which will help to combat some of the recruitment
challenges faced in health and social care.’
6 OTnews November 2019
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It will be easier to recruit occupational therapists from outside the European
Economic Area after a change in government rules, following intensive lobbying
from RCOT.
The UK’s shortage occupation list details which professions have high
vacancy rates, making it easier to recruit staff from overseas. The list is
maintained by the Migration Advisory Committee, which earlier this year
accepted the recruitment problems in occupational therapy. The government has
now accepted the committee’s findings, making it easier to recruit internationally.
RCOT lobbied vigorously for the change, both submitting evidence directly to
the Migration Advisory Committee and also providing crucial data for other key
bodies to submit to ensure the pressing need could not be ignored.
Karin Bishop, RCOT director of professional operations, said: ‘The Royal College has long called for occupational therapists to be
added to the shortage occupations list and this is really positive step for the hard-pressed health and care workforce in the UK. It will
make it easier for trusts to recruit more occupational therapists, which will mean better care for patients.
‘Being on the list also brings an exemption from the £35,000 minimum income threshold for settlement, which will have a positive
impact for those occupational therapists from overseas wishing to stay longer than the visa limits, which should help with staff retention.
‘Ultimately the long-term solution to the workforce shortage is to train more home-grown occupational therapists. But with an