JUNE 1980 P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y 45 NATIONAL COMMITTEE OF REPRESENTATIVES SEVENTH M E E T IN G , HELD ON SATURDAY 3rd M A Y 1980 IN JOHANNESOURG A fte r apologies h a d been noted, th e m em bers present w ere identified because several new m em bers or re p re ­ sentatives were present. T rib u te was paid to the m em o ry of L ilian E rasm us fro m E astern Province, w ho had been a faithful m em ber o f th e Society and regular atten d an t a t previous m eetings. N A T IO N A L E X E C U T IV E C O M M IT T E E R E P O R T (Read b y M rs. A . M atthias, C hairm an) T h e re p o rt covered the period from N ovem ber 1979 to M ay 1980. F o u r m eetings had been held. T h e resig­ n a t i o n s of th e follow ing w ere noted w ith regret: Miss ^ J a z e l B aines (T reasurer) retu rn ed to E ngland in F e b ru ­ ary; M iss L eone P retorius (C hairm an of th e A frikaans T ranslation C om m ittee) has m oved to S tutterheim ; M rs. V. Fogarty, w ho had been co-opted as A ssistant T re a ­ surer, could n o t continue in this capacity. M iss E liza­ beth B otting, w ho h ad agreed to act as tem porary T reasurer. A sub-com m ittee consisting of M iss Irw in-C arruthers, Miss R unnalls and Miss W in ter has been convened to draw u p a m em orandum on th e am en d m en t of R ule 21 of th e P rofessional B oard so as to bring it into line w ith E thical R ule J45(a) as am ended at the previous Council M eeting. R ule 21 specifies th e acts or om is­ sions in respect o f which disciplinary steps m ay be tak en by th e Professional B oard of P hysiotherapy and S.A. M edical and D ental C ouncil. Industrial Physiotherapy was m entioned as a branch w ith great p o ten tial in this country. T h e m an n er in w hich this grow th is handled will influence o u r w hole profession. T h e pro ced u re fo r organizing po stg rad u ate courses ru n jointly by N .E .C . an d B ranches was clarified, the m ajo r organizer (N .E .C . o r B ranch) being identified. B ranches will be responsible fo r local arrangem ents w here N .E.C . arranges a course, and should be con­ sulted as regards speaker, dates, etc. G uidelines fo r wpes and h o n o raria had been draw n up; acceptance B n d cancellation dates m ust be stated by th e organizers. Branches are to d o n ate 20% of profits to th e P.P.K . F und when organizing a course, and N .E.C . is to donate 20% to th e B ranch involved in any course organized by N .E.C . R ecently N .E.C . had been involved in the follow ing courses: D r. R u th P u rtilo , an expert in ethics and rehabili­ tatio n led w orkshops on these topics in Southern T ran s­ vaal and W estern Province. She also addressed these B ranches as well as students from train in g centres in these areas. Misses P. B lake and M. A . van der V elde ran a m ost successful course on norm al m o to r developm ent an d a neurodevelopm ental th erap y approach to facili­ tatio n of m ovem ent. A ttendances at these reflected the vitality and w ork-orientation o f physiotherapists. T h e 9th In te rn a tio n a l C ongress of the W orld C on­ federation fo r Physical T h erap y (W .C .P.T.) will be held in Stockholm in M ay 1982. T h e them e “ M A N IN A C T IO N ” is d eliberately non-specific in o rd er to evoke a m axim al general response. In fo rm atio n fo r speakers is available from B ranches, Special G roups. T raining C entres, o r chairm en of sub-com m ittees. All physiotherapists are encouraged to subm it papers in ord er to reflect the work do n e by physiotherapists in this country. A n A frican P hysiotherapy A ssociation was founded at th e first P an-A frican C ongress held in N igeria. T he Society has applied fo r m em bership. A regional sem inar on biofeedback and electro ­ m yography will be held in G eneva from 1 - 4 O ctober 1980 u n d er th e guidance of P rof. J. B. B asm ajian. M rs. M atthias, M iss E. Sm ith an d M rs. B. van der W att h a d an interview w ith au th o rities as regards sala­ ries and conditions of service of physiotherapists in hospital services. A ccording to th e P ublic Service C om ­ m ission, physiotherapy salary increases ranged from 7 - 3 0% , m ore a tten tio n being given to p a rity o f black and w hite salaries. T h e Society has been invited to sub­ m it suggestions fo r fu rth e r changes. M otivation, based on analysis of physiotherapy services needed, is required to im prove sta ff establishm ent a t hospitals. M rs. M a t­ thias suggested th a t we heed w h at P rof. le R oux of W entw orth H ospital, D urban, says in his open letter to physiotherapists. Physiotherapists in hospital service can no longer claim to be victim s of “the system ” . A u ­ thorities are favourably disposed to im proving physio­ th erap y services, b u t th e correct procedures in health adm inistration are essential. T he N atio n al H ospital G ro u p has a challenging and exciting task ahead, in supporting and assisting hospital staff to achieve satis­ facto ry conditions an d in publicizing th e stim ulation, satisfaction and long-term advantages to be fo u n d in hospital service. R E P O R T F R O M T H E P R O F E S S IO N A L B O A R D F O R P H Y S IO T H E R A P Y (Read b y M rs. K . M. Levy, P resident of th e S.A .S.P. and C hairm an o f the P ro fes­ sional B oard fo r Physiotherapy.) T h e 16th m eeting o f the Professional B oard fo r P h y ­ siotherapy was held in F e b ru a ry 1980, an d reported to th e S.A. M edical and D ental Council m eeting held in P re to ria on 15 A pril 1980. T h e n u m b er o f registered physiotherapists at the end of D ecem ber 1979 was 1 772. D uring 1979, 182 nam es w ere added but 93 w ere erased. O n 1 F e b ru a ry 1980, 144 registered physiotherapists h a d failed to p ay th e ir an n u al fees and it w as agreed to erase th e ir nam es a t 31 M arch if fees w ere still unpaid. I t h as been agreed th a t the p h y sio th erap y degree con­ ferred b y D urban-W esteville will in fu tu re b e know n as a B achelor in P hysiotherapy. T his has been added to th e list o f registrable qualifications. A d d itio n al qualifications registrable b y ph y sio th era­ pists w ere discussed and th e follow ing agreed to: C on­ tinued recognition will b e given to the D iplom a in T eaching Physiotherapy and D iplom a in Intensive C are P h ysitherapy of th e U niversity o f Cape T ow n; D iplom a in P hysiotherapy E d u catio n and th e D egree of M aster o f Science in P hysiotherapy o f th e U niversity of the W itw atersrand and th e D egree of M aster o f Science of th e U niversity o f Stellenbosch. T he follow ing to be ad d ed to th e list: T h e D egree of M aster o f Physio­ th erap y o f th e U niversity of D urban-W estville; th e T ertiary E ducation D iplom a in Physiotherapy o f the U niversity o f th e O range F ree state; th e D iplom a in A dvanced Physiotherapy o f th e U niversity of the Wit- R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. ) 46 F I S l O T E R A P I E JUNIE 1980 w atersrand and the D egree o f M aster o f Science (Phy­ siotherapy) o f th e U niversity o f C ape T ow n. A T ertiary E d u catio n D iplom a is offered by the U niversity o f South A frica. T h e M edical Council has decided th a t provided a person holds a p rim ary q u ali­ ficatio n in a practical profession and th e Council is satisfied th a t th e course co ntent justifies its recog­ n itio n , it can be accepted as an additional qualification. A ccordingly, th e P rofessional B oard has agreed that, given th e assurance th a t a physiotherapist will be re­ sponsible fo r the evaluation an d assessm ent o f the exam inations fo r th e proposed D iplom as as regards physiotherapy, the D iplom a will be recognized as an additional qualification. T h e B oard suggested th a t th e Society approach su it­ able training institutions p rep ared to o ffer courses such as D iplom a in N eu rodevelopm ent therapy fo r physio­ therapists an d u n d ertak e the exam inations. T h e insti­ tu tio n s could th en apply fo r these courses to be recog­ nized as additional registrable qualifications. T h e Executive C om m ittees of th e O ccupational and P hysiotherapy B oards have m et since th e last m eeting o f th e S.A. M edical and D ental C ouncil, and agreed th a t the words “ recreational activities” be used in con­ junction w ith p h y siotherapy and “recreational th erap y ” w ith occupational th erap y w here possible. T he B oard requested th e C ouncil to forw ard these proposed am en d ­ m ents to th e M inister, and the Council agreed to these suggestions. T h e m em orandum on the scope fo r m asseurs sub­ m itted by th e Society has been forw arded to th e Sup­ p lem entary H ealth Services C om m ittee fo r com m ent. T h e Society has also been requested to draw up a docu­ m en t on the scope of rem edial gym nasts and this task will have to be allotted. I t was agreed th a t a T a riff C om m ittee will be a p ­ p o in ted from a panel of physiotherapists which has been sub m itted by the B oard, when the newly elected Council is constituted in July. Council agreed th a t physiotherapists m ay accept paym ent fo r professional services by m eans of a credit card, subject to certain conditions. T hese conditions will be sent to the P rivate P ractitio n ers’ A ssociation fo r circulation to th e ir m em bers. W e aw ait th e final outcom e of th e am endm ents suggested by the M inister to th e M edical, D ental and Supplem entary H ealth Service Professions Act. T he Bill has reached the Senate stage, and as fa r as can be ascertained, the registration clauses have been pas­ sed, which will m ean prescription of th e w hole country. T h e B oard held its first enquiry into th e conduct of a registered p hysiotherapist charged with im proper con­ duct; as a result o f th e enquiry th e physiotherapist con­ cerned was rep rim an d ed and cautioned. A dditional M a tte rs A rising T h ere was a long discussion on th e suggested estab­ lishm ent of health team s by p rivate m edical practitioners. A report was tab led on b eh alf of the P riv ate P ra c ti­ tio n ers’ A ssociation. F rom th e discussion it em erged th at physiotherapists were n o t in favour of being em ployed by private m edical practitioners, b u t it was felt th at th e principle of th e establishm ent of health team s should be strongly supported. M ost represenatives favoured a fo rm o f p artn ersh ip an d suggested th a t a total health service should include m edical specialists, dentists, etc. T h ere was obvious concern fo r th e lack o f services available to th e black com m unity and it was felt th a t this should be p lanned for. Suggestions on th e ways of establishing such h ealth team s should be subm itted to N .E.C . F IN A N C IA L R E P O R T (Read by M iss E. B otting, A ct­ ing G eneral T reasurer) Miss B otting stated th a t it has becom e increasingly obvious th a t the N atio n al E xecutive C om m ittee should a p p o in t a D eputy G eneral T reasu rer so th a t th ere will be tw o m em bers w ith intim ate know ledge of the Society’s financial affairs. T hus there alw ays will be som eone who can tak e over th e financial affairs w ith­ out any break in continuity. T h e F inance C om m ittee has m et at regular intervals since th e last N .C .R . m eeting an d a detailed breakdow n of th e assets of the S.A .S.P. was presented. In discussion it was noted th a t th e investm ents from the P .P .K . F und (P ropagation of Professional K now ­ ledge F u n d ) h ad been used tow ards one g ra n t and two loans during th e financial year u n d er discussion. E D IT O R IA L B O A R D R E P O R T (Read by M rs. J. A. C. G ilder, Jo u rn al E ditor) ( M em bers were urged tp contact th e ir B ranch Secre­ tary when notifying change of address. V olum es I, II an d III o f the Jo u rn al are still missing and an appeal is m ad e to m em bers fo r these in o rd er to com plete the jo u rn al binding. T o increase advertising in the Jo u rn al it was felt th a t a p erm an en t representative in the Wit- w atersrand area is required in o rd er to m ain tain p e r­ sonal contact with potential advertisers. R E P O R T F R O M A P P O IN T M E N T S IN F O R M A T IO N S E C R E T A R Y (Read by Miss P. Blake) Since the last m eeting there have been few enquiries, th e m a jo rity being fro m the U nited K ingdom . R E P O R T S A N D M A T T E R S A R IS IN G F R O M T H E SU B -C O M M IT T E E S A ctivations C om m ittee (Read by M rs. L. T hom pson) T h e C om m ittee is to concentrate on public relations this year, p articu larly on relations betw een individual physiotherapists, Branches, G roups, and students. Since th e last m eeting a reference guide to health care has been com pleted and forw arded to th e D e­ p artm en t of H ealth, the possibility o f setting up s lid e /ta p e lib rary has been investigated, m e m o ra n d W hav e been sent to branches and groups requesting in ­ fo rm atio n on activities, info rm atio n on stu d en t involve­ m en t has been com piled, standards of physiotherapy a re to be investigated, and a w orkshop fo r P .R .O .’s is being planned in conjunction with the Council to be held in 1981. In discussing this rep o rt it was also felt th a t the A ctivations C om m ittee should publicize o u r position as regards salaries and conditions of service through the public m edia, as has been done by the teachers. C onstitution C om m ittee (Read by M iss Irw in-C arruthers) A n addendum , setting out th e am endm ents to the C on stitu tio n and By-Laws which h ad been passed a t the 12th and 13th N atio n al C ouncil M eetings, was tabled. I t was agreed th a t this addendum be used fo r reference and th a t printing w ould be postponed until a fte r the next N atio n al Council M eeting, in view of th e increased cost. Special In terest G roups were requested to forw ard th eir revised constitutions to th e C om m ittee in o rd er th a t they m ay be finalized a t the next N atio n al C ouncil M eeting. R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. ) JUNE 1980 P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y 47 Investigating Committee (R ead by M iss Bow erbank) I t has em erged th a t post-basic courses should be run u n d er th e auspices of a recognized educational authority in o rd er to be considered fo r the registration o f ad d i­ tional qualifications w ith th e Professional B oard. P h y ­ siotherapists w ith a diplom a still have not been catered for, and the accreditation fo r clinical com petence which is being considered in th e U.S.A., will be investigated. T he results of a survey o f caseloads in teaching h ospi­ tals were tabled. It was interesting to note th a t the m ean attendances in this study (15,6 attendances per day) cor­ respond very closely to those in a com prehensive study carried out by th e C an ad ian P hysiotherapy A ssociation in 1978. T his study recom m ended th a t th e stan d ard a t­ tendances p e r physiotherapist-day in a 5 0 0 + -b e d te a c h ­ ing hospital be 1 3 ,0 -1 6 ,0 . T his investigation has im ­ plications in setting guidelines fo r m axim al productivity, at th e sam e tim e m aintaining th e quality o f care. T he study is to be extended to o ther hospitals including non- )teaching hospitals. Registration Committee (Read by M rs. B eenhakker) N o full registrations h ad been recom m ended, but lim ited registration had been offered to one applicant fro m Sweden and tw o from A ustria. I t was agreed th a t th e Professional B oard be requested to consider the re­ d uction of the initial period of lim ited registration to one year. M inim al standards o f training acceptable for registration of physiotherapists have to be subm itted to the B oard by th e Society. T h e driteria fo r registration of additional qualifications will also have to be revised in view of the acceptance of the T ertiary E d u catio n D iplo­ m a of U N IS A as a registrable qualification. V REPORT A N D MATTERS A RISING FROM BRANCHES Border (Read by M rs. E. Lom bard) T he B ranch consists o f 23 m em bers and attendance a t m eetings has im proved. B ranch m em bers were also involved w ith careers inform ation. T en m em bers o f th e B ranch now live in T ranskei and wish to know w hether they should form th e ir own in ­ d ependent branch affiliated to the S.A.S.P., o r m erely (remain as m em bers of the B order B ranch. In discussion it was pointed out th a t constitutionally n eith er an inde­ p en d en t nor an affiliated b ran ch of th e S.A.S.P. could be form ed. I t was suggested th at this m a tte r be referred to Sub-com m ittee fo r investigation p rio r to the next N ational C ouncil M eeting. T h e B ranch also expressed difficulty in m eeting their contribution to th e expenses of the N .C .R . H owever, it was clear th a t th e B ranch h ad m isunderstood the fi­ nancial bulletins and th e G eneral T reasu rer would clarify th e m atter. D - Eastem Province (Read by M rs M . J. L. Butler) T he activities of th e B ranch during th e past 6 m onths were described. T h ere were several interesting lectures and tw o post-registration courses were planned fo r later this year. G oldfields (R ead by M iss Irw in-C arruthers) There was n o representative and the R ep o rt had been draw n up by M rs. S tonestreet. T he m em bership is 27. Several interesting lectures, at w hich th e atten d an ce had been good, h ad been held. I t was felt th a t there was an encouraging interest in B ranch activities. Natal Coastal (Read by M rs. I. N ankin) T his B ranch has 114 m em bers. T he N atio n al P arolym - pic G am es w ere held in D u rb an and B ranch m em bers were very involved in th e activities o f the G am es. In N ovem ber a very successful sym posium on backache was atten d ed by over 200 people. A panel consisting of an orth o p aed ic surgeon, a gynaecologist, an acu p u n c­ turist, a ch iro p racto r and a physiotherapist discussed b ackache un d er the ch airm anship o f Prof. Sarkin, D ean of the F acu lty of M edicine. In la n u a r y M r. V ythilingum gave a lecture on m yocardial disease which was follow ed by a d em onstration o f cardiac reh ab ilitatio n by Ms. H iggins, C alvert, K elly and Blackwood. In F ebruary Mr. C harles Liggins discussed the im plications o f research, a rheum atologist, gave an inform al talk on the hand, D r. M cD onald-S cott, a rheum atologist, gave an in fo r­ m al talk on the hand. T h e B ranch held a business meet- in in A pril to discuss th e A genda for th e N .C .R . This was follow ed by a lecture, illustrated w ith slides, on the value of chest physiotherapy in th e child, given by Mr. G ounden. M rs. de V illiers has been tran sferred to th e Cape, Ms. P. M artin s and A. H u tch in so n have m oved to the T ransvaal, and Mrs. F. Jo rd aan has jo in ed the B ranch from the N o rth ern T ransvaal. N ew m em bers who have joined the B ranch a re : Ms S. M ars, L. Schalit, R. Fisher-Jeffes, P. L eibrandt, R. W agner, A. Smit, H . F orbes, F. Zieseniss, and R. Casely. T h e B ranch expressed sincere regret a t the d eath of M arg aret W arbrugh. M argaret w orked as a physio­ th erap ist for over 40 years. In 1969, a fte r th e death of her em ployer, D r. M ax G itlin, a physical m edicine specialist, she started her own p ractice w hich she con­ tinued to ru n until last year. A lthough she suffered from H o d g k in ’s disease fo r the last 16 years, she w orked tirelessly and m ade a valuable contribution to the profession. She is sadly m issed by colleagues and patients. Natal Midlands (Read by M rs. P. Lief) T h ere are 27 m em bers in this B ranch an d it has been active, holding m onthly m eetings. M rs. H orsley gave a le c tu re /d e m o n stra tio n on connective tissue massage, Dr. Higgs, a paediatrician, lectured on allergy clinics fo r children, M iss S. B lackw ood gave a lectu re on heated hum idification, M r. C. Liggins lectured on T .E.N .S., M rs. B ennett gave a le c tu re /d e m o n stra tio n on child hem iplegia, D r. M eiring gave a lecture on diabetes, Mrs. G. van Schaik gave a le c tu re /d e m o n stra tio n on the rehabilitation o f ad u lt hem iplegia, and M rs. T a rr gave a le c tu re /d e m o n stra tio n on M iss R o o d t’s technique. T h ree m em bers of the B ranch also lectured to no n ­ practising nursing mem bers. T h e B ranch asked w hether a doctor could be th eir m edical liaison officer instead o f th e B ranch President. T he m eeting felt th a t constitutionally it w ould be b etter if D r. P. T hom pson were ap pointed B ranch President, blit certainly his service as m edical liaison officer w ould be appreciated. Northern Cape (Read by M rs. M. K lemp) T he 22 m em bers o f this B ranch travel long distances to a tten d m eetings regularly. T h e B ranch requested help in m otivation fo r the creation o f a post a t a country hospital, and was advised to ap p ro ach th e R e ­ gional M edical Superintendent a b o u t this m atter. I t also R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. ) 48 F I S I O T E R A P I E JUNIE 1980 wished to have info rm atio n on the cost o f train in g at the various T raining Institutions at the beginnning of each academ ic year. A representative of the L ectu rers’ G ro u p agreed to assist them in obtaining these costs at the beginning of each year. Northern Transvaal (Read by M rs. Y. Cohen) T his B ranch now has 200 m em bers, an d atten d an ce at meetings and social functions tend to be average. A supper p arty at th e end o f th e year was m o st success­ ful. A cocktail p a rty fo r the students was atten d ed by Dr. H ugo, the H o n o rary P resident; Prof. B am and D r. Beighton, V ice-Presidents, as well as students from the P reto ria College and M E D U N S A P a t B ow erbank gave a very descriptive lecture on Societies in general and the S.A.S.P. in p articu lar. Prizes w ere aw arded to th e students as follow s: T h e best student th ro u g h o u t 3 years of study was M iss M ath o th o m a of M E D U N S A who was aw arded a book voucher; the m ost prom ising final year student in clinical w ork in 1979 was M iss C. P retorius o f th e Physiotherapy College, who was aw arded a boo k prize. T he E xecutive C om m ittee m eets m onthly w ith good attendance. T he C om m ittee now consists o f 9 m em bers; 11 were elected at the A .G .M . in O ctober, 3 have since resigned, and 1 new m em ber has been co-opted. In F ebruary P rofessor Irsigler spoke to the Branch on chronic chest conditions and the use of a stethoscope. M rs. L ouise H ack gave a lecture on b ackache in preg­ nancy in M arch, and discussed her visit to the Back E d u ­ cation U n it in T o ro n to , and D r Sperryn also addressed m em bers on sport injuries— treatm en t and rehabilitation. Southern T ransvaal B ranch was thanked fo r the op p o r­ tunity th a t m em bers of N o rth ern T ran sv aal B ranch had to attend D r P u rtilo ’s sym posium as well as th e evening lecture given by her. T h e B ranch has been very busy organising th e con­ ference and 14th C ouncil m eeting which is to be held in P reto ria from 2 3 - 2 7 M arch 1981. A full program m e will ap p ear in the S eptem ber issue of the Jo u rn al. F o u r com m ittees, nam ely A cadem ic, F inance, Publicity, and E n tertain m en t, T ran sp o rt and A ccom m odation, have been set up to deal w ith th e organisation o f th e C on­ gress and C ouncil m eeting. T h e C .S.I.R. C onference C entre will be the venue fo r the C ongress and the A uditorium a t the College will be the venue fo r the C ouncil m eeting. T hanks were expressed to W estern P rovince B ranch fo r the loan of their C onference file, which has helped th e B ranch a great deal, and thanks were also expressed to the N .E .C ., B ranches and Sub­ groups who have subm itted ideas and suggestions. Suid-Oranje Vrystaat (Gelees d eu r M ev. Crous) Die ledetal van die T ak is 34, m aar tak-aktiw iteite het ’n stil tydperk beleef. In N ovem ber 1979 is die A lgem ene Jaarv erg ad erin g gevolg d eu r ’n suksesvolle braai. In F eb ru arie h et die T a k ’n sim posium oor sport- beserings deur D r. Sperryn bygew oon. G ed u ren d e Mei sou die nuw e P resident, Prof. Pistorius, die T a k toe- spreek oor huisartskunde. D ie T ak beplan ’n M aitlan d - kursus in Julie deur M ej. R unnalls. V erd er is twee K om iteevergaderings gehou. D ie T ak was diep geskok m et die afsterw e van ’n jarelange lid, M ev. A nn Beyers, w at ’n b aie aktiew e lid van die V ereniging was van af M ei 1959. Twee lede, R. van Blerk en J. V orster, is na an d er T akke verplaas. D ie V oorsitster bep lan om besoeke aan al die hospitale in B loem fontein te bring om fisioterapeute aan te spoor om by die T ak aan te sluit. Southern Transvaal (Read by M iss B. W eakley) T h e B ranch m em bership is now over 400 an d a tte n d ­ ance at m onthly lectures has been good. M r. R abino- witch, a surgeon at B aragw anath H ospital, gave a very interesting and inform ative lecture on stab w ounds of th e chest in O ctober. In N ovem ber Miss M ario n H eap, a stom atherapist, spoke to a sm all audience on h e r w ork in helping patients deal w ith colostom ies and sim ilar problem s. In Jan u ary th e lecture venue was m oved to the new Johan n esb u rg H ospital, w here P rof. Wagstaff, Professor of C om m unity M edicine a t W its, gave a fascinating and inform al talk on health care in the com m unity. She gave the B ranch an insight in to the problem s and successes m et w ith in setting up the Sow eto P rim ary H ealth C are C linic. A sym posium held in F e b ru a ry proved to be very popular. M r. N ainkin, an orth o p aed ic surgeon who runs the spinal clinic at the Jo h annesburg H ospital, and M r. L ieberthal, a brace- m aker, spoke on scoliosis, whilst C onnie Siemers, the physiotherapist of the U nit, aided by tw o w ell-trained/ young patients, dem onstrated the exercises used in tr e a t- ' m ent o f th e condition. In M arch the B ranch was privi­ leged to have D r. R u th P urtilo, an A m erican physio­ therapist, cu rrently working in Sweden, speak to them on the expanding ro le o f the physiotherapist from her A m erican and Swedish experience. She also ra n a w o rkshop/sym posium on the role o f the physiotherapist in the com m unity and p a tie n t/th e ra p is t relationship. T h e B ranch wishes to welcome Sue K eyes and H elen Isaacs back to the Branch after som e tim e aw ay over­ seas, and wish Jean ette M itchell success in her year in the U .K . A ll new m em bers are w elcom ed to the Branch. Western Province (Read by M iss S. Wessels) Five B ranch G eneral M eetings have been held and the follow ing lectures were offered: P.U .V .A . b y D r. C. K aiser of G ro o te Schuur H ospital; the physiology of exercise, b y D r. T im N oakes fro m th e U niversity of C ape T ow n; industrial p h ysiotherapy in E ngland, by M rs. B. Jaholkow ski; and the co-operative p atien t — coerced, com pliant o r c o llab o rato r? by D r. R u th P u r­ tilo from the U.S.A. A w orkshop on the treatm en t o f rheum atoid arthritis was held jointly by physiotherapists and occupational therapists, and physiotherapists also attended a w ork-/ shop on burns organised by the occupational th e ra p ists.\ A w orkshop on after-care ethics u n d er th e leadership of D r. R u th P u rtilo was organised by the U niversity of C ape T ow n. M iss M . J. R unnals read a p ap er on early referral for physiotherapy at the second G eneral P ractice C on­ gress in C ape T ow n and on industrial physiotherapy a t the P o st-G rad u ate In d u strial M edicine C ourse a t th e U niversity o f Stellenbosch. M rs. E. W akefield also read a pap er on tran sp o rt o f paraplegics and quadruplegics at the la tte r course. Miss R. Lewis read a p a p e r on chest physiotherapy at the U .C.T. 150 A cadem ic F esti­ val. A sincere welcom e is extended to all new m em bers and especially to P a t Bow erbank, a m em ber of the N .E .C . who has u n d ertak en to organise a B ranch o f the H ospital group in the W estern Cape. SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS Lecturers’ Group (Read by M rs. J. C. B eenhakker) T h e last six m onths have been devoted largely to im plem enting o r com pleting p rojects alread y in au g u ra­ R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. ) JUNE 1980 P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y 49 ted. A m eeting held on 2 M ay 1980 was follow ed by a w orkshop on educational program m es fo r new m em ­ bers of staff. R evised m inim al standards o f degree courses have been subm itted by the N .E.C . to th e Professional B oard, who have referred them to the different U niversities fo r com m ent. A revised m inim al D iplom a syllabus has also been subm itted. In response to a request fro m the R egistration C o m m ittee this will be com pared w ith the C.S.P. syllabus in o rder to try to establish a m inim al standard for registration of overseas qualified physio­ therapists. E ducational objectives fo r courses in physiotherapy education were form ulated by M iss G o rd o n o f the U niversity o f C ape Town, who will also correlate sug­ gestions received from the different universities. A l­ though several of the universities offer specific diplom as in physiotherapy education, the trend seem s to be moving away fro m these diplom as in th e direction of diplom as in tertiary education offered by the E ducation F aculties of m any of the universities. A t present betw een them the T raining C entres offer 15 additional registrable qualifications. Survey form s on priorities in continuing p h yiotherapy ed u catio n will be distributed in th e n ear fu tu re. C linical trials a t both u n dergraduate an d staff levels, are being conducted at five o f the seven train in g centres. A rising from an idea initiated by the U niversity of the O range F ree State, a qu arterly new sletter has been instituted. T his new sletter will be prod uced by each university in rotation. T h e U niversity of th e W itw aters- rand set the ball rolling, follow ed by the U niversity of the O range F ree State. Both universities are to be con- graulated o n th e ir w ork in the field of physiotherapy education. T he A nnual G eneral M eeting of the G ro u p will be held during the C ongress week in 1981, and the G roup hopes to provide several speakers at the Congress itself. T he w orkshop on educational program m es fo r new m em bers of training institutions was organised by the U niversity of th e W itw atersrand and was a g reat suc­ cess. It covered principles of staff developm ent; the areas o f teacher com petence; the objectives; short, m edium and long-term planning and the establishm ent o f control systems. A com prehensive list of references and som e interesting in fo rm atio n on role play was p ro ­ vided. Manipulative Therapists Group (Read by M rs. J. Edeling) T o date 88 physiotherapists have atten d ed the 75-hour courses on spinal and perip heral m an ip u latio n spon­ sored by the G ro u p and the U niversities o f Stellenbosch and the W itw atersrand. A fu rth e r 52 physiotherapists are attending the courses which are cu rrently being held at these two centres this year. T he G ro u p plans to have a guest lectu rer from A ustralia to conduct a course on peripheral m an ip u latio n during 1981 or 1982. M iss R un n alls represented this country a t the G ene­ ral M eeting o f I.F .O .M .T ., w hich was held in C hrist­ church, New Z ealand, in F eb ru ary this year. South A frica is an A ssociate M em ber o f this G ro u p b u t hopes to attain M em bership status by the end of 1980. M rs. J. E deling read a pap er on “ Cervical headaches — diag­ nosis by m a n ip u la tio n ” during this meeting. T he T ransvaal B ranch of the M .T .G . has form ed a com m ittee and it is hoped th a t they will becom e an official branch at the next A nnual G eneral M eeting, which will be held on M ay 26th 1980 a t th e U niversity of Stellenbosch. N ational Hospital Group (R ead by M rs. C. Bennetts) M em bership is 130. T he highlight o f th e period being reported on, has been a course on m anagem ent for profits and efficiency in physiotherapy by Prof. Sandra van der M erw e. A fu tu re course on hospital adm inis­ tratio n and m arketing o f physiotherapy is being planned. F o u r m eetings of th e T ransvaal section have been held and the subjects discussed w ere: Physiotherapy in n u tritio n al disorders; training and em ploym ent o f blind p hysiotherapists; han d injuries w ith special reference to tendon repairs, and T.E.N .S. in the treatm en t of acute and chronic pain. T w o w orkshops on cardiac reh ab ilitatio n an d the shoulder jo in t were also held. A m em orandum , on the training of departm ental aides, which had b een com piled from all the m aterial previously subm itted, was tabled. The objectives of this training w ould be as follow s: 1. T o free qualified physiotherapists fro m unskilled, sem i-skilled and ro u tin e tasks and provide ade­ qu ate services w here chronic shortages exist. 2. T o provide a lim ited service in ru ral areas w here no services exist. 3. T o im prove the status and conditions o f service as assistants. T w o plans were outlined, nam ely to set up training to provide aides fo r the sam e hospital an d to provide aides fo r o th er hospitals. L ong discussion follow ed and recom m endations were m ade as to the creation of posts, m inim al educational requirem ents fo r such training, and the control of departm ental aides. It w as th o u g h t th at this could form p a rt of the job description o f a visiting o r d istrict physiotherapist. T h e objectives as outlined were agreed to, with reservations on objective 2 covering the lim ited service in rural areas. T h ere was strong feeling th at ru ral aides should be supervised. T he m eeting agreed to th e principle o f training d ep artm en ­ tal aides. T h e L ectu rers’ G ro u p offered assistance in com piling a suitable syllabus which w ould be subm itted to the next m eeting of the N .E .C . Once this has been finalized, a revised m em o ran d u m w ould be subm itted to the P rofessional Board. Obstetric Association (Read by M rs. M . Pretorius) _ C o m m ittee m eetings were held at six-weekly inter­ vals. T h ere were no fu rth e r developm ents to rep o rt on a p ost-graduate course in obstetric physiotherapy as the C om m ittee was aw aiting guidance fro m th e Society. A reading list on ante- and post-natal training has been com piled and this is forw arded to m idwives who seek advice on starting classes. N ew sletters are sent o u t to m em bers at tw o-m onthly intervals. T h e postal library service which was started in th e second h a lf of last year, is functioning well. T h e m ost recen t lecture on hypnosis in pregnancy and lab o u r was held in Jo h an n es­ burg and was very well attended. Perm ission has been obtained from the N .E.C . to place advertisem ents, e n ­ couraging m others to attend obstetric physiotherapy training, in lay publications. T h e C om m ittee is at present negotiating this w ith an advertising agent. A new register of practicing obstetric physiotherapists will be distributed to all registered gynaecologists in the R.S.A. and to the B ranches and Sub-groups or A ssociations of the Society. A m obilisation course was held over 3 w eek-ends during A pril and M ay in Jo h a n ­ nesburg. R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. ) 50 F I S I O T E R A P I E iUNIE 1980 Miss Irw in-C arruthers explained th a t one w ould need th e aim s and objectives first of any post-graduate course w hich needs to b e arran g ed and then one could w ork on th e required syllabus. Private Practitioners’ Association (Read by M r. Weil) M any m atters d ealt w ith by the Society and P rofes­ sional B oard p ertain ed to p rivate practice. E vents leading up to the present stage o f th e fo rm atio n o f the T ariffs C om m ittee to investigate and determ ine th e sta ­ tu to ry m edical aid fees, w ere outlined. O th er m atters d ealt w ith were th e am endm ent of article 16 o f the Incom e T ax A ct to include physiotherapists, increased group insurance, in tro d u cto ry circulars, prescribed areas, the fo rm atio n o f com panies and the W o rkm en’s C om pensation A ct, in relatio n to m ore th a n 20 tre a t­ m ents per injury. C oncern was expressed a t th e m any pointers since the H ealth A ct was pro m u lg ated in 1977, tow ards nationalisation o f h ealth services and socialised m edi­ cine. Some o f these a re : the acceptance b y Provincial H o spitals of m edical aid patients; th e acceptance by the w orkm an’s re h ab ilitatio n centres in Johan n esb u rg and D u rb a n o f p riv ate patients; private em ploying au th o ri­ ties and industry; th e paym ent of W .C.A. fees to doctors and their em ployees who ren d er physiotherapy tr e a t­ m ent; the m ove o f the S.A. M edical A ssociation tow ards the alteratio n of regulations in o rder to enable a doctor in private practice to set up a health clinic ow ned by him self, and em ploy physiotherapists on a salary basis, instead of w orking m ore closely w ith p riv ate physio­ therapists who re n d e r this service in ru ral and u rb an areas. REPORTS ON M ATTERS A RISING FRO M S.A.S.P. REPR ESEN TA TIVES ON N A T IO N A L O R G A N ISA ­ TIONS N ational Council for the Care o f Cripples (Read for M rs. M atth ias by M iss Blake). T he C ouncil holds its an n u al general m eeting com ­ bined with a tw o-day C ongress in a different city each year. T he C erebral Palsy D ivision of the C ouncil does the sam e on different dates. As representative o f the S.A.S.P. and being on the E xecutive C om m ittee o f both bodies, Mrs. M atth ias has subm itted a re p o rt on the activities o f th e Society and has been given the o p p o r­ tu n ity to speak. In the past M rs. M atth ias has spoken herself or local physiotherapists have highlighted an aspect of physiotherapy eith er as an audio-visual or clinical p resen tatio n w ith patients. T his has done a great deal to prom ote understanding of, and support for, physiotherapy am ong the representatives from governm ent, provincial and local authorities concerned w ith re h ab ilitatio n w ho atten d ed such m eetings, as well as those from o th er w elfare bodies. F ro m 1959 to date the N atio n al C ouncil fo r the C are of C ripples has given n early R14 000 for physiotherapy training both at u n d er­ g rad u ate and postg rad u ate level. T h e next m eeting of this C ouncil will be held in P reto ria in A ugust 1980, and th e N o rth e rn T ransvaal has been invited to represent the Society a t this meeting. South African N ational Council for the Aged (Read by M rs. B eenhakker) A t the E xecutive C om m ittee m eeting held in O ctober 1979, the problem of the shortage o f occupational and physiotherapists was discussed. It w as th o u g h t th a t this m ay b e due to th e ir relatively low salary scales an d it was suggested th a t the C ouncil should ap proach the P ublic Service C om m ission w ith a request th a t salary scales be b ro u g h t in to line w ith o th er professions such as social workers. A two-week course in geriatric care fo r registered nurses attached to old age hom es, local authorities, Provincial A dm inistration an d others, has been introduced by th e D e p a rtm e n t of H e a lth . T hese courses will be offered in Johannesburg, B loem fontein, D urban, Bellville, P ietersburg, P o rt E lizabeth, K em pton P ark, E ast L ondon and P ieterm aritzburg. Physiotherapy will b e covered in these courses and M rs. B eenhakker w ould be interested to h ear fro m physiotherapists who have been approached to give these talks. S.A. Sports Association for Physically Disabled (Read by M iss Irw in-C arruthers) A Springbok team will definitely be presen t a t th e( In tern atio n al P arolym pics to be held in H o llan d from 21 Ju n e to 5 July 1980. T h eir particip atio n in the games depends on a m eeting of th e C ouncil of State, a no n ­ political body in th e D utch P arliam en tary system , which is to be held in th e m iddle o f M ay. T h e gam es will be held in A rnhem and travel and accom m odation have been finalized. A N Y OTHER BUSINESS Addresses o f members M rs. B eenhakker appealed to B ranches to keep the G eneral S ecretary inform ed o f all changes o f addresses of th eir m em bers. A recent survey had show n th a t addresses w ere not u p-to-date despite all efforts of the S ecretariat to keep it accurate. Appointment of a Business Consultant T he W estern P rovince B ranch suggested th a t th e services of a business consultant be used to draw up m em oranda subm itted, fo r instance, to m otivate th e im provem ent o f salary scales to th e P u b lic Service C om -( mission. T his m atter was referred back to N .E.C . Evaluation of the Profession I t was also suggested th at a jo b evaluation be done to determ ine how physiotherapy rates in term s of, or com pared to, o ther professions. I t was felt th a t this m ight be m ore com parative and m ay assist th e repre­ sentations to have physiotherapy classified as a p ro ­ fession. Congratulations It was recom m ended th at N .E .C . send congratulations to M r. Jack S tockton on his retire m en t in D u b lin and to T heunis Stoffberg on becom ing a rugby Springbok. D ate and Venue of N ext Meeting T h e next m eeting will be held on 18th O ctober 1980 at th e Johan n esb u rg H ospital at 9.00 a.m . R ep ro du ce d by S ab in et G at ew ay u nd er li ce nc e gr an te d by th e P ub lis he r (d at ed 2 01 3. )