RCOT has published its manifesto for the Senedd Election in 2021, calling for occupational therapy to be at the forefront of the new Welsh Government’s commitment to healthcare, as the nation recovers from COVID-19.
Occupational therapists play a unique and valuable role in working across the NHS, social services, in care homes and the community, enabling people to live fulfilled lives as well as relieving pressure on health and care services.
The four key asks of the RCOT manifesto in Wales are:
- legislate to ensure a streamlined approach to housing adaptations;
- support a healthy and fit workforce, ensuring organisations think about the wellbeing of the workforce;
- ensure the right to rehabilitation; and
- deliver parity between health and social care.
The manifesto was sent to parties at the end of last year to encourage them to consider our key asks when writing their manifestos.
We encourage members in Wales to engage with this year’s elections and petition their candidates to commit to supporting the key asks should they be elected. You can find a variety of ways you can get involved to support occupational therapy in the resource pack, available for download below. The pack contains sample social media posts, graphics and letters to candidates as well as information on how to find out who is standing in your area.
The manifesto, resource pack, and an introduction document to the Welsh Government are available in both Welsh and English for download.