Recruitment and retention of occupational therapists is already a huge issue , and with an increase in demand driving more pressure at work , often with little to no support from managers , this will continue to be an ever-growing problem .”
Recruitment and retention of occupational therapists is already a huge issue , and with an increase in demand driving more pressure at work , often with little to no support from managers , this will continue to be an ever-growing problem .”
63 % to vacancies […] New services and teams want occupational therapists – they value us and our clinical felt they were too busy expertise and skills , but there aren ’ t to provide the level of the occupational therapists to fill those care they ’ d like teams .’ Despite the challenges and frustrations , the vast majority of respondents felt positive about their experiences of the profession , with almost all ( 93 %) describing occupational therapy as a rewarding career and almost nine in 10 ( 86 %) saying they would recommend it as a career to others .
RCOT Director of Practice and Innovation , Karin Orman , commented : ‘ Our report shows how closely the different parts of the health and care system need to work together and how dependent they are on each other .
‘ It ’ s positive to see the value of occupational therapy is being recognised , but it ’ s deeply shocking to hear occupational therapists say they fear the services they ’ re providing are unsafe .
‘ We need to ensure occupational therapists are able to deliver their services safely and efficiently to those who need them . This means filling all vacancies and having enough staff available to meet demand .’
She added : ‘ Recruitment and retention of occupational therapists is already a huge issue , and with an increase in demand driving more pressure at work , often with little to no support from managers , this will continue to be an ever-growing problem .
‘ We want to see more investment in the workforce , including more occupational therapists in leadership roles , and we want leaders in the government and NHS to recognise that investment in health and social care will not only benefit everyone ’ s health , but could ultimately help boost the economy . We hope that this will be reflected in the forthcoming NHS workforce plan for England as well as any future workforce plans across Scotland , Northern Ireland and Wales .’
78 %
said that their team wasn ’ t large enough to meet the demand
May 2023 OTnews 13