Half of NHS trusts in England lack funds earmarked to cover maternity leave
Summary
A Chartered Society of Physiotherapy analysis found that 49% of NHS trusts in England had neither a dedicated budget nor a policy allowing extra spending to cover staff maternity leave. The group warned that gaps in cover can increase pressure on remaining staff and delay patients’ treatment and rehabilitation.Key Facts
- The CSP based its analysis on freedom of information requests to NHS trusts in England.
- Twenty-two percent of trusts said maternity cover arrangements did not include physiotherapy staff, compared with 9% for nursing posts.
- Women make up about 79% of the NHS physiotherapy workforce, according to the article.
- The CSP said teams without maternity cover may have to absorb the absent staff member’s workload.
- A separate CSP survey found four in 10 physiotherapy staff had lost or expected to lose dedicated rehabilitation space.
- In that survey of more than 2,000 CSP members, six in 10 said other clinical teams had taken over their rooms.
- The Patients’ Association said inadequate staff replacement can mean longer waits, less access to specialist expertise and more pressure on remaining teams.
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