The growing involvement of occupational therapists in the modern healthcare workforce is a symptom of their expertise and effectiveness, and is good for patient care.
Like other allied health professionals, occupational therapists fill roles which they have the clinical expertise, training, skills and knowledge to perform well and safely. These may include positions with generic titles such as advanced practitioner or service manager.
Recent reporting confuses nursing roles and positions where occupational therapists or other allied health professions have the appropriate clinical expertise and competence. The RCN is right to call for nursing posts to be filled by qualified registered nurses. Occupational therapists don’t want to, and are not, delivering roles that should be delivered by registered nurses.
Occupational therapists work in a broad range of practice across physical and mental health. As healthcare evolves to meet modern requirements, the skills and expertise of occupational therapists has been recognised in increasingly diverse areas, and occupational therapists have proven their capability in wider leadership roles. This is based on considerable experience in multi-disciplinary service delivery and a greater understanding about when a particular role should be filled by someone from a particular health profession or based on their wider clinical and professional experience.
The Royal College of Occupational Therapists is proud of the contribution that occupational therapists make in health and social care, as the profession develops in line with evidence and the needs of modern society.