DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
News Release issued by COI News Distribution Service. 21 October 2008
- Health Secretary
give go ahead to roll out of self-referral schemes for allied
health services
More people should have the freedom to self-refer for services
such as physiotherapy and podiatry, which will further empower
patients and could cut waiting times Health Secretary Alan Johnson
announced today. While some Allied Health Professionals (AHPs)
already take-on self-referrals, many do not and today's
announcement will give the green light across the profession.
As part of a package of improvements to AHP services, Mr Johnson
also announced the intention to collect new data on these areas to
support the improvement of services. We will also introduce
quality measures, which will lead to improvements in the overall
standard of these services for patients and the public.
Recent research carried out by the Department of Health in
partnership with the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP)
showed that self-referral to musculoskeletal physiotherapy
resulted in patients:
* accessing services quicker;
* being more likely to complete their course of treatment and
turn up for follow up appointments.
The research also showed that self-referral resulted in a lower
level of work absence for patients and a high level of
satisfaction from patients, GPs and physiotherapists.
Health Secretary Alan Johnson said:
"I am giving the green light to physiotherapists,
podiatrists and all Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) that they
can accept patients who self refer.
"Services provided by Allied Health Professionals (AHPs)
play a vital part in building a society that's fair and inclusive.
"Podiatry, for example, is a vital service for older people
as it improves their mobility ensuring that they are not
unnecessarily confined to their homes."
"Self referral will help both vulnerable members of society
and those with busy lives by providing quicker access without the
unnecessary hoop jumping of going to see a doctor first."
Karen Middleton, Chief Health Professions Officer, said:
"I welcome the improvements to AHP services announced
today. AHPs and their services can make all the difference to
whether children or adults lead an independent and fulfilling life.
"This offer maximises the potential of AHPs as autonomous Practitioner."
Ralph Graham, Chairman of the Allied Health Professionals
Federation (AHPF) said:
"The Allied Health Professions Federation has long
campaigned for a better voice in the commissioning and planning of
local healthcare and the AHPF is delighted that the Secretary of
State for Health has made this announcement.
"We believe that these new commitments will mean a better
service for patients and will lead to a better understanding by
planners of the breadth of services provided by Allied Health Professionals."
Notes to Editors
1. There are over 76,000 AHPs. The professions are art
therapists, drama therapists, music therapists,
chiropodists/podiatrists, dietitians, occupational therapists,
orthoptists, orthotists and prosthetists, paramedics,
physiotherapists, diagnostic radiographers, therapeutic
radiographers and speech and language therapists
2. For enquiries please contact 020 7210 4850.
3. The existing Transforming Community Services (TCS) programme
will produce a number of initiatives to support self-referral. A
toolkit for the world class commissioning of community services
will be published in November 2008 along with a new contract for
community services.
4. Case studies:
City and Hackney PCT have used self-referral to improve access to
speech and language therapy for children under 5 by operating
'talking walk-in sessions' as the first point of contact.
Portsmouth City Teaching PCT have used self-referral to allow the
most vulnerable groups in their area to access podiatry services.
5. The AHP framing document "Framing the Contribution of AHPs
- delivering high quality health care" and the AHP self
referral document "Self-referral pilots to musculoskeletal
physiotherapy and the implications for improving access to other
AHP services" are available on the DH website.