The Royal College of Occupational Therapists is calling for occupational therapists as well as other key Allied Health Professions, such as physiotherapists, radiographers and speech & language therapists to be included in the government’s auto-visa extension scheme. Originally, this scheme was introduced to recognise the pressures on the thousands of doctors, nurses and paramedics on the NHS frontline from overseas, who are at the forefront of the fight against COVID-19.
There are, however, thousands of Allied Health Professionals, who are risking their own wellbeing and sadly, their own lives, to support the nation at the time of this international pandemic crisis.
The RCOT is calling on the government to widen the 12 month visa extension to occupational therapists and other Allied Heath Professionals, many of whom work in the NHS on the frontline and in social care.
Karin Orman, Assistant Director of Professional Practice comments:
“Occupational therapists are a key part of the UK’s response to the COVID-19 crisis, supporting people as they are discharged from hospitals as well as supporting those 1.5m people that are having to self-isolate in their homes.
“The pressures on occupational therapists on the frontline have grown rapidly and we need to prioritise the future of the workforce, particularly in the next 12-18 months as the demands on rehabilitation in communities will grow. As part of this, we need to retain our overseas workforce, which accounts for around 3,000 occupational therapists in the UK.
“We are therefore calling on the UK government to extend the visa extension scheme to include occupational therapists working in the NHS and in social care.”