PHYSIOTHERAPY GRADUATE UNEMPLOYMENT

Early day motion 2589, tabled 17 July 2006 by Lord Lansley (Conservative). Signed by 57 members.

That this House is deeply concerned that many of this year's physiotherapy graduates will not have jobs to go to if NHS trusts continue to operate a vacancy freeze as a means to address deficits; notes a new survey from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, which indicates that nine out of 10 of this year's 2,529 physiotherapy graduates, trained at a cost of £73 million to the taxpayer, have no NHS job to go to this summer; believes that graduates must consolidate their education in junior posts or else their skills will deteriorate and the time and money invested in their training will go to waste; further believes that freezing junior physiotherapy recruitment will hamper efforts to expand rehabilitation services, stand in the way of implementing the National Service Framework on Long-term Conditions, and increase waiting times for patients; and therefore calls on the Government urgently to address the jobs crisis among physiotherapy graduates.

Signatures by party: Conservative 31, Liberal Democrat 15, DUP 5, Labour 4, Social Democratic and Labour Party 1, UUP 1.