The Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists (ISCP ) has launched a nationwide public awareness campaign highlighting the vital role in healthcare played by chartered physiotherapists.
The ISCP campaign includes a radio advertisement featuring the voice of Micheál Ó Muircheartaigh, as well as advertisements in newspapers and on prominent websites.
Speaking at the launch, CEO of the ISCP, Ruaidhrí O’Connor, said: “Our nationwide public awareness campaign is based on a series of ‘Did You Know…?’ advertisements on the role of chartered physiotherapists in 12 key clinical areas. Our campaign will also draw attention to the urgent need for physiotherapy services to be widely available throughout Ireland in order to help people to reach their full potential following injury, pain or disability.”
President of the ISCP, Annette Shanahan, added; “We are here today to highlight the work of chartered physiotherapists, who work as part of the healthcare team in a number of areas, including musculoskeletal and manual therapy; women’s health; respiratory care; paediatrics; oncology and palliative care; cardiac services; neurology and gerontology; intellectual disability; sports and exercise medicine; occupational health and ergonomics; and rheumatology.
“I also wish to draw attention to the acute need of patients in these areas that require regular access to chartered physiotherapy services so that they can maximise their independence and reach their full potential in life. There is a serious shortfall of access to physiotherapy services in Ireland with waiting lists of up to one year or in some cases even longer.
“At a time when over 60 per cent of the 2008 physiotherapy graduates cannot gain work as physiotherapists in their own country, patients are being denied access to the required physiotherapy services.”
Joy Prendergast, who was diagnosed with MS in 1975, said: “After I had been diagnosed in 1974 in the Adelaide Hospital I knew nothing about MS except that some people regarded it as a tragedy if someone got it. I thought that I would never be able to work again. But I did and continued to work until 1990 when I retired and have been getting physiotherapy weekly now for about 18 years.
“This physiotherapy goes some way to helping me do the things some people take for granted such as housework, hobbies, or spending time with family and friends.”
