News in brief
Expert occupational therapy advice about relationships and intimacy
To raise the profile of occupational therapy in February , to align with Valentine ’ s Day , we ’ ll be sharing expert occupational therapy advice about relationships and intimacy , to support people who may have challenges due to illness , injury , a health condition or disability . Look out on social media and share our posts to help us spread the word .
Research Excellence Framework 2028 delayed until 2029
The next Research Excellence Framework ( REF ) will now be REF 2029 , the four UK funding bodies have announced . Results will published in December 2029 . This is in recognition of the complexities for higher education institutions ( HEIs ) in : the preparation for using Higher Education Statistics Association ( HESA ) data to determine REF volume measures ; fully breaking the link between individual staff and institutional submissions ; and reworking of institutional Codes of Practice . Find out more about the change in date and what this means at https :// bit . ly / 3RSLmuw . Read more about the decision to delay REF by a year at https :// bit . ly / 48g8wBX .
Our calls for the Northern Ireland Assembly
As Stormont returns to power-sharing , we are calling on the Northern Ireland Assembly to address critical workforce priorities . This will enhance occupational therapy delivery across Northern Ireland . To deliver on the Health and Wellbeing 2026 strategy our key priorities in Northern Ireland are : establishing occupational therapy in primary care ; investing in children ’ s occupational therapy services ; and development of a rehabilitation framework . Find out more at https :// bit . ly / 3uhgoEA .
NHS expands mental health support for veterans , with more than half saying it ’ s hard to speak up
The NHS is rolling out an expanded mental health support service for Armed Forces veterans , as a survey found that more than half find it difficult to speak up about mental health issues .
A new campaign was launched on 9 January , to highlight the NHS Op COURAGE service , which now includes enhanced specialist support for addictions .
Latest available data shows that from April to November 2023 , more than 4,500 referrals were made to the NHS service , which provides specialist care , support and treatment to former Armed Forces personnel , reservists and service leavers with mental health and wellbeing issues .
There are about 2.4 million veterans living in the UK . A new survey of over 3,000 veterans and serving personal , carried out by NHS England , found that the majority ( around 60 %), of those who took part , said they found it difficult to ask for help for mental health issues .
For those who sought help from Op COURAGE , self-referral was the top method ( around 44 %). More than half of respondents ( 52 %) said they currently had , or had previously had , a mental health problem and 54 % said they had a physical health problem now or had previously had one .
The NHS Op COURAGE service is unique – our staff are not only highly trained clinical professionals , but they are also either ex-military or know the military culture first-hand .”
As a result , NHS England redesigned the service , with a focus on boosting self-referrals , as well as the addition of enhanced addiction support . Support for veterans , reservists , and service leavers through OP COURAGE is provided by trained professionals from the Armed Forces community or with extensive experience of working with the military .
The survey was undertaken between April and May 2022 , and received 3,095 responses . Dr Jonathan Leach OBE , NHS England Associate Medical Director for Armed Forces and Veterans Health , said : ‘ The NHS Op COURAGE service is unique – our staff are not only highly trained clinical professionals , but they are also either ex-military or know the military culture first-hand . This sets them up to provide a non-judgemental service and build trust with those seeking help .’
Minister of State for Veterans ’ Affairs , Johnny Mercer , said : ’ I am determined to make this the best country in the world to be a veteran , but to do that we need veterans and the public to be aware of what support is already available to them , including our dedicated mental health service Op COURAGE .
‘ I would strongly urge anyone who is struggling to reach out . Help is available through Op COURAGE in England , dedicated NHS services in Scotland and Wales , and the Veterans ’ Support Office in Northern Ireland .’
For more information about the service visit https :// bit . ly / 42eqceZ .
8 OTnews February 2024