2020 had been an extremely challenging year for everyone. Specifically, for Physiotherapists in Work and Health, it has required in a significant change to the way we work as well as a range of new challenges our patients and their employers are facing. For the ACPOHE it has been no different. We have all had to change the way we operate almost overnight and have done so exceptionally well.
ACPOHE has been exceptionally busy throughout the year and have undertaken a myriad of activities. These range from: launching a new webinar platformto better network and deliver new content to our members and other Occupational Health (OH) Professionals; developing home working guidanceto support our patients and their employers during these challenging times; through to moving more of our education courses onlineto ensure more people have access to our training.
There are two additional areas of work that deserve a special mention:
- Long COVID Return to work (RTW) guidelines
In response to COVID, a working group was put together to develop a set of RTW guidelines specifically looking at rehabilitation and return to work guidelines for those patients suffering from Long COVID. This comprehensive guide was launched as a live webinarin October will be a valuable resource for those physiotherapists and other OH professionals working this patient group. https://acpohe.csp.org.uk/documents/acpohe-recovering-covid-19-rtw-guidance
- Online Open Access Journal
I am thrilled to announce that, after much hard work, in 2021 we are due to launch a new journal titled the Journal of Physiotherapy in Work and Health (JPWH). This is an open-access Internet-only journal, accessible to new researchers, early-career academics, and clinicians to share contemporary research and ideas regarding occupational health and ergonomics.
The JPWH is now open for submissionsand invites you to submit contemporary research, reviews, discussion papers, opinion pieces and editorials in relation to occupational health physiotherapy practice. https://publications.coventry.ac.uk/index.php/JPWH/index
ACPOHE hopes that these tools and resources continue to support shared learning across all OH Professionals and facilitates closer multi-disciplinary working. As an active member on the Council for Work and Health, ACPOHE will continue to share these and any other new developments with council members.
Miles Atkinson
Chair ACPOHE