Continuing professional development: policy and practice in the National Health Service (NHS)

Abstract

For professional disciplines, continuing professional development (CPD) is subject to policy initiatives, serving either to facilitate or to constrain CPD opportunities. This paper focuses on the relationship between the physiotherapy profession and management and government in relation to CPD. This research utilized qualitative methods to explore practitioners' perceptions and experiences of policy in relation to post-qualifying learning. Here, learning activities were seen as important in maintaining employability in a competitive workplace and fulfilling managerial and government agendas. Additionally, how policy affected the individual was partially explained by the implementation of CPD and re-registration policies without clear frameworks from the government and professional body. Practitioners therefore negotiated their own position within organizations, leaving managers in a powerful position and the physiotherapy workforce relatively compliant to their demands. For physiotherapy, this may mean that theoretical and practical innovations will be suppressed, the professional knowledge base will not be developed, and autonomy will be challenged.

Acknowledgements

The author would like to thank Nafsika Alexiadou for advice and support throughout the conduct of this study. The author is also very grateful to Miriam David for helpful comments, and to Julius Sim for advice on the manuscript.

Notes

The ‘Junior’ grade is the level at which newly graduated therapists normally practise, before gaining progressive seniority and specialisation through ‘Senior II’ and ‘Senior I’ grades. Advanced expertise is represented by the extended scope practitioner and consultant grades. It should be noted that this grading system was under review during the period of this study and the UK now operate on a 1–9 band system, bands 5 and 6 being equivalent to Junior and bands 8 and 9 being equivalent extended scope practitioner and consultant grades.

See http://www.the-shipman-inquiry.org.uk/reports.asp/.