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ANNEX 2: Physical and Complex Disabilities Client Group R&D Priorities: Priority B3: Development and training for NHS staff

  • Last modified date:
    8 February 2007

Priority B3: Development and training for NHS staff

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Importance

The ways in which NHS staff deal with patients with sudden onset of disabilities or manage acute episodes within a chronic condition has profound implications for future management of the patient.

Staff in the National Health Service receive training in the field of Physical and Complex Disabilities in one of three ways; in their initial training for qualification, in-service training as part of employment practice, and postgraduate opportunities. Opportunities for knowledge and experience in initial education are patchy and often profession specific. Thus physiotherapists may receive between 50-150 hours dedicated to handling and lifting in a three year programme, and occupational therapists between 20-40 hours, while some medical degrees provide a single taught session or workshop only. Similar examples can be given for other skills (1). The lack of common ground leads to difficulties in communication and standard setting between professional groups, especially when advising clients and their carers.

Poor training is likely to incur increased costs to the Health Service. Poor physical handling skills, for example, can lead to injury to practitioners, carers and clients alike. Poor communication skills can lead to inappropriate identification of need with the result that the wrong services, aids or equipment may be provided.

Research should, therefore, focus on developing good practice guidelines across disciplines. The use of new technologies for training needs to be explored - the development of CD ROM and CD-i, for example, may offer an effective and efficient means of staff development and training.

Research needs to be undertaken on the training needs of staff working in acute settings and of those who work in community and long term care settings. In the acute sector professional groups who should be involved include nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, doctors including orthopaedic surgeons, rheumatologist, neurologists, clinical psychologists and rehabilitation engineers. Training is required for those caring for people suffering from the effects of a stroke and from arthritis, sensory disabilities, severe learning disabilities, incontinence, swallowing/eating disorders, Huntington's Chorea and multiple aetiology. Staff need training in lifting and handling, communication, counselling for loss and trauma, assessment of need, skill mix, patterns of referral, research methods, management, curriculum design and technology use.

Those working in the community include general practitioners, primary health care nurses, speech therapists, occupational therapists, physiotherapists and social workers. Areas where training is required include care management, needs assessment, aids and equipment, personal finances, rehabilitation approaches, counselling, preventative techniques, health education and skill mix (2).

Examples of Research and Development Objectives

  1. To review the training, and literature on training, of staff in the NHS who work with people who have physical and complex disabilities.
  2. To develop and access new ways of delivering appropriate training to staff in the NHS, with particular emphasis on innovative schemes such as distance learning, interdisciplinary approaches, and shared schemes with client group and users.
  3. To assess the effectiveness of information, and of training opportunities and the educational materials used in existing training at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, on the rehabilitation and care of people with physical and complex disabilities.
  4. To determine the optimum frequency, intensity and content of training for staff working with a range of client groups in primary health care and long term settings.
  5. To compare the outcome of different training strategies, and how effectively training has been put into practice.
  6. To evaluate the effectiveness of training NHS staff in the education of disabled people and their carers.

References

Validated course outlines, available from Course Leaders, or are held at the Education Section of the appropriate professional body.

All references to occupational and client groups in this section are taken from the evidence submitted to the R&D working group for people with Physical and Complex Disabilities.

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