Patients "desperately need" more physiotherapists amid record vacancy rates and a failure to increase undergraduate training places in Scotland, campaigners have warned.
The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) said patients' recoveries are being put in jeopardy by a worsening workforce crisis, with Scotland now lagging behind other parts of the UK on physiotherapy training.
Ahead of a planned debate on the issue by MSPs on May 30, CSP Scotland's public affairs and policy manager Kenryck Lloyd-Jones said the current situation "is incredibly frustrating".
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He added: "We know the country desperately needs more physiotherapists, and we know there is the pipeline of people wanting to begin a career in this area.
“The answer must come from the Scottish Government who have the power to increase the number of graduate courses and training places available across the country.
“The demand for physiotherapy in the country will only continue to rise.
"We know that it prevents hospital admissions, speeds up discharge and supports people to make full recoveries and live independently.
"Prevention and rehabilitation services are not only better for people’s health, but also lessen people’s reliance on services, easing pressures and reducing costs."
CSP says there has been "no growth" in the number of undergraduate training places for physiotherapy in Scotland over the past decade, contributing to "an insufficient number of graduates entering the NHS workforce".
In contrast, England has increased its undergraduate training places by 96% in the same period.
While GP surgeries in Scotland have benefitted from the expansion of multidisciplinary teams, including more than 300 physiotherapists based in practices, CSP notes that the staff for these posts have been drawn from the existing community musculoskeletal (MSK) service whose roles are "not being backfilled".
This is contributing to record high vacancy rates for physiotherapists in NHS Scotland of between 7-10%, said CSP.
It adds that the lack of training places available is "at odds with the number of prospective students in the country wanting to enter the profession", with around 10 applicants for every available place on a physiotherapy course.
Additionally, there are now more self-funded postgraduate physiotherapy degrees available at Scottish universities than ever before.
These mostly attract students from overseas who are unable to work in the UK following their training.
Overall, just 46% of physiotherapists who trained in Scotland are still living and working in the country 15 months on from graduation, compared to 82% in England, 83% in Wales and 78% in Northern Ireland.
The staffing crisis is taking its toll on the current workforce with physiotherapy managers working across NHS Scotland struggling with shortages in their teams.
As of December, last year there were 253 vacant physiotherapy posts.
Nearly half (45%) of physiotherapy staff working across a wide range of services including respiratory, MSK, cardiac and stroke report being very concerned about staffing levels being sufficient to meet patient need, according to CSP.
It found that one in five (21%) physiotherapists have considered leaving their jobs in the past year due to the increased pressure and limited resources.
Many of those surveyed by the professional body reported "struggles to recruit to vacant posts", "avoidable delays in patients receiving essential rehabilitative care", "increasing severity and complexity of symptoms", and concerns about the "diminished quality of life" they are now witnessing in their patients.
CSP Scotland is now part of a coalition of charities - spearheaded by Chest, Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS) which is campaigning for a 'Right to Rehab' to ensure that patients get access to recovery treatments such as physio or speech and language therapy when they need it and for as long as it is required.
Jane-Claire Judson, Chief Executive of CHSS, said: “It is entirely unacceptable that there are still so many people across Scotland struggling to access the rehabilitation they need to live their lives to the fullest.
“Last year Public Health Scotland figures showed only half of the 11,257 Scots who had a reported stroke got access to the necessary standards of treatment and care.
"That’s not good enough.
“That’s why we want the Scottish public to get behind our call for the right to rehabilitation to be included in the Scottish Government’s proposed Human Rights Bill so that everyone, regardless of condition or location, can access the rehabilitation they need for as long as they need it.”
Last year, a report by the Allied Health Professions Education and Workforce Policy Review, which includes physiotherapists, made a number of recommendations including widening access and promoting careers in the allied health professions (AHP) to ensure that the AHP workforce keeps pace with demand.
The Scottish Government said an advisory board is currently overseeing the implementation of those recommendations.
A spokeswoman said: “There are a record number of physiotherapists working in our NHS, an increase of 29% over the last ten years.
"We greatly value the role physiotherapists play in improving the health and wellbeing of people across Scotland.
“We are committed to creating 225 more Advanced Musculo-Skeletal (MSK) Practitioners in Primary Care, by increasing MSc training places to increase the Physiotherapy workforce.
"So far 144 students have been funded towards meeting this target."
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