Joint call on Prime Minister to unblock NHS workforce plan
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Joint call on Prime Minister to unblock NHS workforce plan
RCOT has joined forces with over 30 health charities , professional bodies , unions and the NHS Confederation to write to the Prime Minister urging him to publish a funded workforce plan for healthcare in England . We ’ ve warned the Prime Minster that his promises to improve the NHS will not be met unless the workforce crisis is addressed . The workforce plan was originally earmarked for publication in Spring 2022 but has still not been published . Read the letter at bit . ly / 3P3PNCG .
RCOT launches new guideline about children ’ s play
RCOT launched a new guideline about children ’ s play at its Annual Conference earlier this month . The evidence-based practice guideline is considered the gold standard for occupational therapists , following the National Institute for Health and Care ( NICE ) accredited process .
Play is a fundamental right for children and young people . Play helps children feel not only happy and fulfilled , but also part of a community . It helps them learn , grow , and connect with others .
It also helps them develop a huge range of skills that they ’ ll continue using throughout their lives , including taking turns , working together , creativity , problem solving and using imagination . Play looks different for every child , but is of equal importance to every child , no matter their situation or abilities .
Occupational therapy and play provides recommendations for occupational therapists about the importance of play , supporting the use of play in their practice .
The Guideline Development Group comprised occupational therapists from a range of settings , stakeholders and public contributors , and reviewed high-quality research evidence to develop the guideline .
It aims to become the go-to resource for occupational therapists who provide services for children .
Dr Sally Payne , RCOT Professional Adviser for children and young people , said : ‘ Play is fundamentally and universally important . It helps children grow and develop whilst learning about
themselves and the world around them . Playing is also important for its own sake – every child should be able to play in a way that is fun for them .
‘ As occupational therapists , we help children with developmental difficulties and disabilities to be able to play . We also use play in our therapy , making our assessments fun and engaging . This guideline helps by providing evidence-based recommendations for including play in our work with all children .’
Tanya Rihtman , chair of the Guideline Development Group , added : ‘ This guideline was developed with the primary purpose of informing and enhancing the day-to-day clinical practice of paediatric occupational therapists . It ’ s exciting to see the guideline reach the point of publication and we hope that it has a positive impact on occupational therapy practice with children and young people .’ Download Occupational therapy and play at http :// rcot . co . uk / playguideline .
As occupational therapists , we help children with developmental difficulties and disabilities to be able to play . We also use play in our therapy , making our assessments fun and engaging . This guideline helps by providing evidencebased recommendations for including play in our work with all children .”
6 OTnews June 2023