In the 2024 annual membership census we asked member organisations (MOs) for their priorities for advocacy to advance the profession and workforce planning came out top. This was consistently an issue whether MOs were in high or low resource settings, despite the needs being different and reflective of the local context.
It’s a topic that touches all areas of the profession.
Making the connections between education provision and graduating the workforce required with the necessary skills to reflect the changing environment of practice.
Physiotherapists with the right skills, available at the right time to be effective, and services delivered in the right place with appropriate funding poses numerous challenges. Developments in new career pathways, such as advanced scope and first contact practitioners, are also opening up opportunities.
Ensuring appropriate terms and conditions for all physiotherapists across sectors is another topic of concern. The 2024 annual membership census revelated that there is a global average of 3.8 physiotherapists per 10,000 people across the world, that ranges from 0.3 in the Africa region to 13.7 in the Europe region.
Whilst resourcing varies globally, there are common challenges that are relative to context, where collaborative discussion can pursue solutions and help frame advocacy action.
