Freedom of Information request Physiotherapy/Allied Health Professions (AHP) Safe Staffing

To whom it may concern, Freedom of Information Act 2000 Request for Gloucestershire Health and Care NHS Foundation Trust Physiotherapy/Allied Health Professions (AHP) safe staffing for The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Reference: CSP/FOI/2026/50 Statutory Obligations Under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (Section 10), you are required to respond to this request within 20 working days of receipt. If you consider that any exemptions apply to all or part of this request, please cite the specific exemption(s) and explain why the public interest in maintaining the exemption outweighs the public interest in disclosure. If the information requested is not held by your organisation, please confirm this in your response and, where possible, advise which body may hold this information. If you require any clarification regarding this request, please contact us at the details provided below. We would be happy to refine or narrow the scope of any questions to assist you in providing a timely response. Contact Details Rachel Newton, Head of Policy, Chartered Society of Physiotherapy PhysioSafeStaffing@csp.org.uk Introduction I am writing on behalf of The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) to make a request for information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (or the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 where applicable). The CSP is the professional, educational and trade union body for the UK’s 67,000 chartered physiotherapists, physiotherapy students and support workers. We are seeking to understand: 1) Whether Trusts in England undertake formal Allied Health Professional (AHP) safe staffing establishment reviews which include physiotherapists and support workers. 2) The extent of local policies for providing cover for maternity and long-term sickness absence for the physiotherapy workforce. 3) The extent to which Trusts are implementing recruitment freezes or delays in recruitment of physiotherapy staff. The questions below are designed to establish the answers to these 3 lines of enquiry. No Question Response Format Local workforce planning 1a Do you undertake formal AHP Safe Staffing Establishment reviews within your Trust? (choose one answer) Yes, for some AHPs in the Trust Yes for all AHPs in the Trust No 1b. Do you undertake formal registered Physiotherapy Safe Staffing Establishment reviews within your Trust? (choose one answer) Yes for all physiotherapy staff Yes for some Physiotherapy staff No 1c If you answered yes to Question 1b, when was the last Physiotherapy Safe Staffing Establishment Review conducted? (choose one answer) 0 to 2 years 3 to 5 years 6 to 8 years 8 to 10 years Over 10 years 1d What action has the Trust taken when reviews highlight understaffing of physiotherapy staff in Trusts? (choose one answer) Increase registered physiotherapy posts Increase physiotherapy support worker posts Increase administration posts Neither of the above 1e Does your organisation have a formal, documented definition of ‘safe and effective staffing’ that includes AHP services? (choose one answer) Yes - we have a standardised definition for AHPs only (separate from other professions) No- we do not have a formal documented definition for AHP staffing Unsure 1f Have you developed any local teaching or training resources regarding AHP Safe Staffing? (choose one answer) Yes, we have developed resources, but they are for internal use only Yes, we have developed resources and they could be shared nationally/ regionally No, we have not developed any local resources No, but resources are currently in development Local employment policies 2a Does your trust have a budget for maternity cover or a policy for allowing overspend to pay for maternity cover? (choose on answer) Yes No 2b If you answered yes to 2a, is this budget or policy accessible to cover nursing staff maternity leave? (choose one answer) Yes No 2c If you answered yes to 2a, is this budget or policy accessible to cover physiotherapy staff maternity leave? (choose one answer) Yes No 2d If you answered yes to 2c, does the budget provide: (choose one answer) 100% cover 75-99% cover 50-74% cover Less than 50% cover 2e Does your trust have a budget for long term sickness cover or a policy for allowing overspend to pay for long term sickness cover? (choose one answer) Yes No 2f If you answered yes to 2e, is this budget or policy accessible to cover long term sickness leave for physiotherapy staff (choose one answer) Yes No 2g If you answered yes to 2f, does the budget provide: (choose one answer) 100% cover 75-99% cover 50-74% cover Less than 50% cover Recruitment 3a How many registered physiotherapist roles by head count for each band did the Trust recruit to between 1 January and 31 December 2023? Band 5 Band 6 Band 7 Band 8a 3b How many registered physiotherapist roles by head count for each band did the Trust recruit to between 1 January and 31 December 2024? Band 5 Band 6 Band 7 Band 8a 3c How many registered physiotherapist roles by head count for each band did the Trust recruit to between 1 January and 31 December 2025? Band 5 Band 6 Band 7 Band 8a 3d Has the Trust operated a recruitment freeze or pause in recruitment for physiotherapy staff in the last 12 months (choose one answer) Yes No Not sure 3e Do you anticipate the Trust carrying out recruitment freezes or pause in recruitment for physiotherapy staff in the next 12 months? (choose one answer) Yes No Not sure Definitions and clarifications Physiotherapists Safe staffing establishment reviews Safe staffing establishment reviews are evidence-based, bi-annual, or annual processes ensuring physiotherapy staffing include the right staff with the right skills in the right place to meet patient needs. Allied health professionals Allied health professionals (AHPs) are a diverse group of health and social care professionals. They include physiotherapists, occupational therapists, radiographers, paramedics, dietitians, speech and language therapists, art, music and dance therapists, along with operating department practitioners, podiatrists, orthoptists, prosthetists and orthotists. Physiotherapist Registered physiotherapists helps restore movement and function when someone is affected by injury, illness or disability. Physiotherapists help people affected by injury, illness or disability through movement and exercise, manual therapy, education and advice. They maintain health for people of all ages, helping patients to manage pain and prevent disease. The contribution of physiotherapists can be seen at many points of care pathways as physiotherapists work as clinical leaders and multi-professional team members, to support patients in hospital, home, community work and leisure environments. Physiotherapy support workers Physiotherapy support workers are members of the rehabilitation workforce who provide interventions and support physiotherapy programmes under the delegation of registered healthcare professionals. They deliver delegated physiotherapy care, either partly or wholly,  as part of a physiotherapy, therapy, or multidisciplinary team, contributing to the achievement of patients' rehabilitation goals whilst contributing to safe and effective physiotherapy service delivery. Physiotherapy staff This includes registered physiotherapists, physiotherapy students and support workers. Understaffing Insufficient staffing levels to meet patient needs, leading to increased waiting lists, reduced treatment, and poorer patient outcomes. Recruitment freezes Stop filling vacant posts or creating new posts. Long term sickness Employees who are off work sick for more than 4 weeks Many thanks, Rachel Newton Head of Policy