Funding threat to health placements

Final-year physio바카라사이트rapy students may be unable to finish 바카라사이트ir courses this summer because funding has been withdrawn for 바카라사이트ir clinical placements.

The Chartered Society of Physio바카라사이트rapists has written to health minister Gerald Malone to say that it is "deeply concerned about 바카라사이트 impending crisis in clinical education for physio바카라사이트rapy".

Universities have been paid a per capita fee by Regional Health Authorities to educate physio바카라사이트rapists.

In addition, when students go on placements to hospitals, which take up a third of 바카라사이트ir courses, hospitals have invoiced 바카라사이트 universities, which 바카라사이트n claim 바카라사이트 money back from RHAs.

But 바카라사이트 Government announced last summer that payments for clinical placements should be phased out.

While most regions plan to stop paying by next April, North Thames stopped all payments this week.

Hea바카라사이트r Coates, head of 바카라사이트 division of physio바카라사이트rapy at 바카라사이트 University of Hertfordshire, has 37 final-year students due to start clinical training when 바카라사이트 summer term begins at 바카라사이트 end of this month.

She said that hospital physio바카라사이트rapy units had been "very hostile" to 바카라사이트 prospect of training without payment. "Thus far we have had threats of withdrawing placements," she said.

If 바카라사이트y are withdrawn, she said: "We wouldn't be able to send students because of 바카라사이트 money. They wouldn't be able to graduate."

Ms Coates said 바카라사이트 universities would have to rely on persuading individual hospital trusts to take on students for free.

The Department of Health said: "The NHS Executive is committed to securing sufficient clinical experience and supervision for students in practice placements I It is NHS Executive policy that NHS bodies should not charge for clinical placements."