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ISSN 0031 9406 USPS 009-319

January 10, 1994 Volume 80, No 1

Journal of The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy

14 Bedford Row, London WClR 4ED Telephone 071-242 1941 Fax 071-831 4509

A TALKING SHOP FOR TALKING SHOP Anyone fortunate enough to be sitting in the audience of the 1993 Representative Conference would realise that there are a large number of members with strong feelings about many issues relating to physiotherapy. Not only do those people have strong feelings but they are prepared to stand up and propose, support or oppose motions. Certain subjects have widespread support and have obviously been discussed by many groups in a variety of settings. Other topics may be more controversial but the conference offers a platform from which a member can convey a message to a wider audience than a hospital staffroom, a local Clinical Interest Group meeting or Branch committee.

Those people who take part in the debate know that their thoughts, feelings and comments will reach the ears of Council representatives, CSP staff, and members of the Society from across the country and probably beyond as debates are perpetuated outside the conference. Motions which are carried are published in Physiotherapy, accompanied by a response from Council and the CSP staff outlining the outcome of the issues (see pages 33-36 of this issue). In this way, members not attending the conference get a feeling of membership opinion. Other motions which were lost are rarely commented upon but I feel there is an element of one which deserves a final airing before being put to rest. It read:

‘This conference is in fact little more than a talking shop and has had little significant impact on CSP policy in the past and shows no sign of doing so in the future. . .’ (Fife Branch).

The motion was questioning the role of Conference and the policy-making process of the Society. However, delegates obviously felt that, in spirit, the motion was also challenging the existence of Conference and this very

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important talking shop was far too precious to lose. Any fears that this forum might be lost was reflected in the majority vote ‘against’.

This was an important vote, as it confirms the desire of the membership not only to influence the direction of their profession but to be able to communicate widely among themselves. The Journal Committee has long been aware of this desire to communicate but until more recently there has been no ‘forum’ on which to ‘focus’ on particular issues. The letters page has provided a vehicle for debate but leaves no room for detailed reasoning.

Several years ago the ‘Personal View’ feature emerged to accommodate the longer letters and this has grown

into ‘Forum’ for the expression of personal opinions, and ‘Focus’ which highlights objectively any particular subject. We are receiving more and more comments from, members who want to make their feelings known. Not only do these articles make good reading and provoke thought and debate but they are committed to print and thus become part of the Society’s archives as numbered pages of the Journal.

So if you were at Conference and want to expand on your views or as a group or individually you want to widen your audience, use the Journal as your Talking Shop.

Caroline R Smith M S ~ M C S P Chairman, Journal Committee

THE CHARTERED SOCIETY OF PHYSIOTHERAPY

Annual Congress 1994 Celebrating the Past, Shaping the Future

International Convention Centre, Birmingham September 20 - 23, 1994

CALL FOR PAPERS 1994 marks the Centenary of the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. The Society will be looking forward to the next 100 years as much as looking back with pride on the last.

Papers for concurrent session presentation are invited on any aspect of physiotherapy - clinical, professional, educational or managerial. Within the programme, all papers will be placed under one of the three core skills - massage (and other manual skills), electrotherapy and movement. Both oral and poster presentations are welcome.

Each Congress session (morning or afternoon) will follow a similar pattern. There will be three keynote lectures - the emergence of professional development, international perspectives of physiotherapy and physiotherapy education around the world. Each will be followed by a short historical look at one of the three core elements of physiotherapy practice. There will then be a series of concurrent lectures within that core element on what is happening today, new developments and research. Finally, there will be a discussion/debate about clinical practice today within the core element.

Those intending to give a paper or present a poster are asked to submit an abstract which should be no more than 200 words long. It should also carry a title, author(s) name(s), job title if appropriate, address for correspondence, daytime telephone number and fax number. It should be typed. The abstract should set out clearly the purpose of any research, the methodology used, the results, and conclusions reached. If a single case study, the abstract should describe the assessment, treatment, progress and conclusion. Abstract forms are available on request.

Prospective presenters should forward their abstract to: The Chairman, Congress Organising Committee, Events Unit, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, 14 Bedford Row, London WC1R 4ED (tel 071-242 1941, fax 071-831 4509).

Closing date for submission is February 28, 1994.

Physiotherapy, January 1994, vol80, no 1