Page 8 P H Y S I O T H E R A P Y GENERAL December, 1963 FORMATION OF A CHARGE PHYSIOTHERAPIST GROUP A t th e re c e n t C o u n c il M e e tin g h eld in S e p te m b e r th is y e a r p e rm issio n w as g ra n te d fo r th e f o rm a tio n o f a C h a rg e P h y s io th e ra p is t G r o u p w ith in th e S o u th A fric a n Society o f P h y s io th e ra p y . T h e o b jec t o f th is g ro u p will be p rim a rily to discuss a n d fo rm u la te policies in m a tte rs c o n c e rn in g p h y sio th e ra p y in h o sp ita ls. T h is n eed n o t be lim ite d to P ro v in c ia l H o s p ita ls . T h e p h y sio th e ra p ist in c h a rg e o f th e d e p a rtm e n t m ay be h o ld in g a S e n io r, G ra d e I o r G ra d e II p o st. W h e re th e re is o n ly o n e p o st a t a h o s p ita l th e p e rso n a p p o in te d to it, is th e p h y sio th e ra p ist-in -c h a rg e . W h e re th e re a re tw o G ra d e I p o sts b u t n o S e n io r p o s t, th e p e rs o n w ho h a s given lo n g e r service, a n d is th e re fo re th e s e n io r p e rso n o n th e staff, is th e p h y sio th e ra p ist-in -c h a rg e . A n a p p e a l is m ad e to a ll c h a rg e -p h y sio th e ra p is ts w h o a re m em b e rs o f th e S .A .S .P ., t o w rite to M iss B. W in te r, C ollege o f P h y s io th e ra p y , P. O . B ox 437, P r e to r ia ., a n d in d ic a te y o u r in te re s t in th is p ro p o se d g ro u p . Ite m s fo r d isc u ssio n o r c o rre sp o n d e n c e c o u ld e v e n tu a lly in clude su c h d o m e s tic m a tte rs as p ro v in c ia l sa la rie s , u n ifo rm s, sh o e a llo w a n ce , p re sc rip tio n o f tre a tm e n t by d o c to rs , c a rd a n d filing sy ste m s, th e la te s t tec h n iq u e s o f p h y sio th e ra p y , e tc ., w h ich d o n o t fall u n d e r th e ju ris d ic tio n o f C o u n c il o r C e n tra l E xecutive C o m m itte e . A n in te rim C o m m itte e will h a v e to be d ra w n u p , a n d th e fo rm a tio n o f th e G r o u p finally ra tified by C o u n c il a t th e n e x t m eeting. PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS’ REGISTER P riv a te P ra c titio n e rs a re a d vised th a t a n e w a n d revised P riv a te P ra c titio n e rs ’ R e g is te r will be p u b lis h e d in th e n e a r fu tu re . Ple ase send in n a m e , a d d re ss a n d full d e ta ils to th e P riv a te P ra c titio n e rs R e p re s e n ta tiv e : M iss M . E m slie, 602, V a n R ie b e e c k B u ild in g , P re to ria . PRIVATE PRACTITIONERS’ ENQUIRIES A ll c o rre sp o n d e n c e c o n c e rn in g P riv a te P ra c tic e a n d P riv a te P ra c titio n e rs ’ s h o u ld be s e n t d ire c t to M iss E m slie a t th e a b o v e a d d ress. LETTERS T O THE ED ITO R T h e E d ito r, P h ysio th e ra p y, D e a r M a d a m , I h a s te n to c o m m e n t o n a m a tte r p u b lis h e d in th e j o u r n a l P h ysio th e ra p y, V ol. X IX , N o . 3, S e p tem b e r, 1963, u n d e r th e h e a d in g “ B ra n c h N e w s .” T h e N a ta l M id la n d s B ra n c h (I q u o te ) “ w as h o rrifie d to h e a r t h a t D r. M ills re g a rd s p h y s io th e ra p y as a n o n -e sse n tia l service.” W h ile h e a rtily e n d o rs in g th e ir h o r r o r a t su c h a n a ttitu d e , it s h o u ld b e p o in te d o u t c le arly t h a t D r . M ills w as n o t ex p ressin g his p e rs o n a l o p in io n , n o t sp e a k in g as S u p e r­ in te n d e n t o f th e J o h a n n e s b u rg G e n e ra l H o s p ita l. H e w as a d v isin g th e C o m b in e d E x ec u tiv e C o m m itte e o f C .A .M .P . re g a rd in g th e a ttitu d e o f th e D e p a rtm e n t o f H o s p ita l Services to w a rd s th e e sse n tia l services re q u ire d in a h o sp ita l. T h e a ttitu d e o f th is D e p a r tm e n t is t h a t a h o s p ita l m u st h a v e (besides p a tie n ts )— d o c to rs , n u rs e s (to c a re fo r th e p a tie n ts d a ily needs, e tc .), r a d io g ra p h e rs , d ie tic ia n s a n d p o rte rs , b u t t h a t a h o s p ita l can fu n c tio n w ith o u t p h y sio ­ th e ra p is ts. T h a t is th e re a s o n w h y th e s a la rie s o f p h y sio ­ th e ra p is ts in P ro v in c ia l H o s p ita ls a re lo w e r th a n th o s e o f n u rse s. D r . M ills a d vised th e m ee tin g to b a se th e ir re q u est fo r in creased sa la ry scales o n th o se scales re co m m e n d e d by th e S.A . N u rs in g C o u n c il, p u ttin g th e m slightly low er, in view o f th e a ttitu d e o f th e D e p a rtm e n t o f H o s p ita l Services to w a rd s th ese tw o p ro fessio n s. S h o u ld we a s k fo r scales e q u a l to , o r h ig h e r th a n th o se re q u e ste d by th e N u rs in g C o u n c il, su c h a re q u e st s h o u ld be a c c o m p a n ie d by very so u n d a n d a c c e p ta b le re a so n s w hy we c o n sid e r o u r services e q u a l o r m o re e sse n tia l t h a n n u rsin g . W e sh o u ld also p ro v e th a t th e p h y sio th e ra p ist c a rrie s e q u a l o r g re a te r re sp o n sib ilitie s th a n th o se o f a n u rse o r s iste r o f e qual g ra d in g . S h o u ld we d isre g a rd th e ir advice, D r. M ills assured us fro m his lo n g e xperience t h a t th e scales w o u ld n o t be c o n sid ere d by th e a u th o ritie s . T h e re fo re a su ggested scale w as d ra w n up a n d su b m itte d to C .A .M .P ., ta k in g a c c o u n t o f D r . M ills’ advice, in o rd e r to h ave so m e h o p e o f ach iev in g success. T h e suggested scales, w hile a c o n sid e ra b le im p ro v e m e n t o n th e p resent scale, is slig h tly b elo w th a t re c o m m e n d e d by th e S.A. N u rs in g C o u n c il. T h is re q u este d scale w as a c c o m p a n ie d by a m o tiv a tio n , i.e. a s ta te m e n t c o n ta in in g th e re a so n s fo r th e re q u e st. I feel t h a t th e N a ta l M id la n d s B ra n c h have p u t fo rw a rd so m e very goo d a rg u m e n ts , a n d su g g est t h a t these be in c o rp o ra te d in th e ge n era l sa la ry m o tiv a tio n s u b m itte d to C .A .M .P . I a lso feel t h a t th ey s h o u ld a d d re ss th e ir re m a rk s, n o t to D r . M ills, b u t to th e D e p a rtm e n t o f H o s p ita IServices, w hose view s he trie d to c o nvey to us so clearly. I w o u ld like to t h a n k D r . M ills fo r giving u p a n evening in o rd e r to h elp us in o u r d e lib e ra tio n s o n salaries, a n d h o p e th a t h is a dvice will p ro v e p ro fita b le to all p h y sio th e ra p ists in th e fu tu re . Y o u rs sincerely, B R U N . W IN T E R . O c to b e r 2 nd, 1963. T h e E d ito r, M a y I m ak e use o f th e J o u r n a l to c o n v ey to m y p h y sio ­ th e ra p y frien d s a n d colle ag u e s in S o u th A frica , m y very sincere th a n k s fo r th e m an y m essages o f g ood w ishes a nd c o n g ra tu la tio n s o n m y m a rria g e , a n d th e gifts o f so m an y b e a u tifu l a n d useful p resents. I t is q u ite im p o ssib le to th a n k in d iv id u a lly a ll those p h y sio th e ra p ists w h o su b s c rib e d to m y “ K itc h e n T e a ” a n d all th e m em bers o f th e N o r th e rn T ra n s v a a l B ra n c h fo r th e ir lovely gifts. M y five y e ars in S o u th A fric a a n d th e p e o p le I m et a n d w o rk e d w ith, h a s been a w o n d e rfu l ex p erien c e a n d my years a t th e P r e to r ia C ollege o f P h y s io th e ra p y w ere very h a p p y ones. I feel t h a t th e p ro fe ssio n h a s a w o n d e rfu l fu tu re in S o u th A fric a a n d a tre m e n d o u s c o n trib u tio n to m a k e to the c o u n try a t a ll levels, th e a tm o s p h e re o f in te rest a n d e n th u s ia s m in all P h y s io th e ra p y G ro u p s is stim u la tin g , a n d I a m very h a p p y t h a t I h a d th e o p p o rtu n ity o f p lay in g a sm a ll p a r t in th e w o rk . I c a n n o t ex p ress to o d e eply th e a ffection I h ave fo r th e P re to ria C ollege a n d D e p a rtm e n t o f P h y s io th e ra p y , an affe c tio n b ased o n th e h elp, g o odw ill a n d c o -o p e ra tio n o f b o th sta ff a n d stu d e n ts . Y o u p ro b a b ly a ll k n o w th a t C o u n c il a t its re ce n t m eeting, b e stow ed o n m e a life m em b e rsh ip o f th e Society. I am fully a w a re o f th e g re a t h o n o u r th e Society h as p a id me, a n d I find it difficult to ex p ress m y a p p re c ia tio n a n d th an k s. M y h u s b a n d jo in s w ith m e in se n d in g g o o d w ishes to y o u all. Y o u r s sincerely, A N G E L A D E A C O N . I A r-y -G o b , T relaw n y d , nr. R h y l, N . W ales. 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. )