Across the UK, COVID-19 has changed the way that heath and care services operate. The UK health service has risen to the challenge, and occupational therapists are on the frontline of its response. Almost overnight, many occupational therapists are being asked to rapidly respond and change their practice on an unprecedented scale. New ways of working mean some occupational therapists are being asked to work in unfamiliar settings and in clinical areas outside of their usual practice. Many are embracing the challenge, but understandably there are concerns about both the professional practicalities and implications of these changes.
The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) has recently stated in its update to registrants, ‘How we will continue to regulate in light of novel coronavirus (COVID-19)’:
We recognise that in highly challenging circumstances, professionals may need to depart from established procedures in order to care for patients and people using health and social care services. Our regulatory standards are designed to be flexible and to provide a framework for decision-making in a wide range of situations. They support professionals by highlighting the key principles which should be followed, including the need to work cooperatively with colleagues to keep people safe, to practise in line with the best available evidence, to recognise and work within the limits of their competence, and to have appropriate indemnity arrangements relevant to their practice.
As registered occupational therapists, you are expected to follow HCPC guidance and use your judgement in applying the principles to situations that you may face. However, these also take account of the realities of the very abnormal emergency situation we are currently experiencing.
As an occupational therapist, working in partnership with people, you will need to continue to use your professional judgement to assess risk and to make sure people receive safe care, informed by the values and principles in the HCPC Standards of conduct, performance and ethics.
It is the responsibility of the organisations in which you work to ensure you are supported to do this.
It is important to remember that there is not a set list of activities that are automatically deemed to be within the practice of occupational therapy. It’s helpful to remember that if the occupational therapist can demonstrate their professional rationale, that the activity is part of an intervention that addresses occupational performance and engagement, then it is within scope of practice and covered by RCOT’s professional indemnity insurance. Occupational therapists trained to take temperatures, blood pressures and other vital signs are covered, if this screening allows them to then safely work as an occupational therapist with an individual.
Therefore, any activity that an occupational therapist uses or does may be considered within the professional scope of practice as long as they:
- focus on enhancing/maintaining occupation for the person they are working with.
- use their occupational therapy knowledge, skills and experience.
- are professionally competent to carry out the intervention.
If you are asked by your employers to take on additional tasks/duties during the Coronavirus pandemic, they should provide you with training, advice and guidance, and your employers’ vicarious liability insurance should provide cover for its employees. If you find yourself in this situation, you should check with your employers to see if you are covered under their insurance to undertake any additional tasks you deem to be outside of your scope of practice.
If you have any questions relating to your scope of practice, please do not hesitate to contact me – Anne Keen) - or my colleague Kewcha Ambrose by calling 020 7450 2330 or by emailing professional.enquiries@rcot.co.uk
More information can be found at:
Health and Care Professions Council (2020) How we will continue to regulate in light of novel-coronavirus. , (2017) Returning to practice and blog ‘Can I do that? Thinking through your scope of practice’
A Letter: Supporting allied health professionals and allied health professional support workers during the COVID-19 epidemic in the UK on Coronavirus by NHS England and NHS Improvement.
The RCOT Scope of practice webpage which includes a link to the ‘Scope of Occupational Therapy’ briefing and our COVID-19 information page.