HEALTH EQUITY FEATURE engagement in research opportunities ; having more political influence as a professional body ; and more proactively promoting the profession ’ s role in sustainable healthcare .
Finally , some suggestions for the four nation governments to act on include that they : appreciate occupational therapists can work anywhere , with anyone ; open up roles that have been traditionally closed to occupational therapists ; recognise the powerful effect occupational therapy provision has on addressing health equity issues ; and use the green agenda for creating homes that are fit for purpose .
More generally , people are also calling for increased funding for occupational therapy services , more occupational therapists in the workforce , that social care get properly funded and that governments engage more with local communities .
Using the platform to urge people to start a health equity conversation , Karin Bishop , RCOT ’ s director of professional operations , said : ‘ First , we need to be health equity aware , and we need to ask the questions , what is my role in contributing to health inequality ? How might specific communities be disadvantaged ? Do any of my actions , or aspects of service delivery , unintentionally exclude a person or group ?
‘ This can help us to see how the system within which we work means that some of our actions may have unintended consequences . So , the next step in this ongoing conversation is , what practices do we need to let go of , and where should we refocus our priorities ? What should our new future occupational therapy service look like ? And how can we ensure the voices of those most affected are heard and informing us , so that we can ensure that any change is an improvement ?’
Lauren Walker , RCOT professional adviser , used the platform to ask occupational therapists to support each other .
She said : ‘ As well as thinking about how we support the people who access occupational therapy , we need to consider how we support each other , so that we all feel able to address health equity in our practice , recognising that members of our profession experience health inequalities themselves … health equity is something we need to address collectively , we all have a unique role to play .’
Alongside the campaign , RCOT has also published a new report , Roots of recovery : occupational therapy at the heart of health equity ( www . rcot . co . uk / roots-of-recovery-occupational-therapy-healthequity ).
The report gives examples of where occupational therapy can be organised to effectively address health inequalities . It covers the areas of primary care , housing , children , young people and families , community rehabilitation , community mental health and the criminal justice system .
For each , it looks at the key elements to maximise impact and how to achieve the best return on investment , and offers case studies and further resources .
In a clear call to action , RCOT asks service leaders and practitioners across all sectors to co-operate and work with their
Watch the event
recording of the # OTsForEquity : Launch event with Professor Sir Michael G Marmot and live Q & A panel : www . rcot . co . uk / occupational-therapy-week-2021-otsforequity # otsforequitylaunch-event-recording
Reflect on what you learnt about health equity and how you can apply this to your role using the
# OTsForEquity toolkit : www . rcot . co . uk / occupational-therapy-week-2021- otsforequity # resources-for-download
local communities to re-imagine services in a way that will help to improve health inequalities and health outcomes for everyone across the UK .
Occupational therapists have the skills and motivation and are based in the right places , the report stresses , they just require the opportunities to drive this system change .
Richard Fernandez , RCOT senior policy and public affairs manager , commented : ‘ We ’ ve been listening to the discussions before , during and after Occupational Therapy Week , studying the suggestions on the ideas wall and looking at what ’ s going on in our wider environment .
‘ For the coming year we want to focus on the theme of access – to services and to the profession . There are huge barriers that prevent people from accessing the services they need , and many people seeking to join , or already within , occupational therapy face unjustifiable experiences .
‘ Our initial plans involve tools to help occupational therapists work collaboratively with communities and then to engage with local and regional opinion formers , and – with current moves in mind – better understand where digital services present opportunities and risks both to service users and professionals . This work will be guided by a reference group , so keep an eye on our website for more information .’
Tracey Samuels , editor , email : editorial @ rcot . co . uk
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