News

Dear Member, 

We hope this finds you well and that you have had a successful year making a difference to the lives of so many people. We are proud at BAPO of all our members’ achievements and celebrate your incredible work. 

Thank you for continuing to be a member of BAPO this year, your support is greatly valued. Your professional body has also had a busy year. In March we started working on the NHSE-commissioned programme of work which is the largest programme of work BAPO has undertaken.  It includes projects covering a wide range of areas including pre-registration curriculum, practice-based placements, simulation, the support workforce, preceptorship and foundation support, the educator workforce, career resources and information, EDI, apprenticeships, embedding education and training into commissioning, and job planning. You will seen several resources BAPO has launched from this programme of work, and you will see many more over the coming months. 

As well as this important work we have also been busy with events and courses. We held regional conferences in Cardiff and Tamworth both of which were sell-out successes. A huge thank you to everyone who attended and contributed and to our exhibitors who made it possible for us to hold these events.  

We also held our inaugural BAPO P&O Awards in September and we had a wonderful evening celebrating the profession and presenting a Lifetime Achievement Award to the inspirational Lynne Rowley who will be sadly missed by all who knew her. Our Patron, Alex Brooker, also made an appearance by video to present the BAPO Hero Award to Sandra Sexton. We hope to see you at the awards in 2025.  

You will have seen from the weekly newsletter that our offering of education courses has increased and in 2025 we are taking this to a new level when members will have the opportunity to attend a wider range of courses. As well as the very popular KAFO and MSK courses, we will deliver an Anatomy course and Going Digital & 3D Printing. We are also developing courses on X-ray/Imaging, OA/Knee and Clinical Note Keeping with many more under discussion. Keep an eye on the newsletter for more information and please book quickly as the courses sell out. We deliver these courses with the support of OETT for which we are very grateful. 

However, it is also that time of the year again when memberships are renewed. Inflation affects all organisations and BAPO is no different, so our Executive Committee has reluctantly agreed on a small increase in membership fees of 2%. For a full member, this is approximately £7 per year, or 60p per month so we feel this still represents great value for money. As ever we are working to control our costs so that we pass on as little as possible to our members.  

To help with affordability you can of course pay by monthly Direct Debit if you don’t already do so, and if you email us we will send you the mandate form. To ensure you receive all our communications and membership benefits it is important that the information we hold for you is accurate. Please log in to BAPOnline to pay for your 2025 subscription and update your details. This information will help us continue to develop the services we offer to members. If you have any problems logging in we are here to help so please email enquiries@bapo.com or call us on 0141 561 7217.  

Once you have your renewal confirmation you will be able to access your member discounts and member areas of the website. 

The Executive Committee thanks you for your ongoing support. The community that you are part of is unique and changes so many lives for the better, and BAPO will continue to shine a light on the issues that matter to you and the great work that you do. 

Abstracts are now open for the Global Advanced Practice Summit. This virtual 24-hour event is designed to connect advanced practitioners from around the globe.

Early bird tickets are on sale until December 31^st

We are thrilled to announce the development of a groundbreaking initiative: the UK Limb Difference Research Community. This community aims to bring together amputees, individuals with limb differences, their supporters, industry professionals, and researchers in the field of prosthetics to foster a collaborative and inclusive environment.

Our primary motivation is to ensure that research is driven by the needs and perspectives of amputees and individuals with limb differences. By creating mechanisms for stakeholder-led research, we aim to make the research process more inclusive, relevant, and clinically transferable. Additionally, we are committed to establishing channels for researchers to share ongoing projects and outcomes with the wider community, ensuring transparency and engagement. This initiative will bridge the gap between researchers and stakeholders, enhancing overall involvement and interest in prosthetics research within the limb difference community.

Furthermore, we are dedicated to turning research into action. Our goal is to ensure that developments are implemented to improve prosthetic services and enhance the lives of amputees and individuals with limb differences.

This initiative is being co-produced by the charities LimbPower, Steel Bones, and Finding Your Feet, which represent amputees and the limb different community, and the University of Southampton. It is supported by BACPAR, ISPO, and BAPO.

If you are UK based, have an amputation/s or limb difference or you know someone who has limb difference and would like to join the community you can access our Facebook group here: https://fb.me/g/51kJTpdOk/GKvZUFDg
If you are interested in supporting the development of the community sign-up to our information launch session here: https://amputeeresearchfocusgroup.eventbrite.co.uk
If you are undertaking research in the field of prosthetics and would like to learn more, please contact Alix Chadwell at: a.chadwell@soton.ac.uk

The purpose of the BAPO Learner Reference Group is to co-create an approach that enables BAPO, the national professional body for the prosthetic and orthotic profession in the UK, to link more closely with learners enrolled on pathways to join the P&O workforce. In the first instance, we plan to bring together learner representatives from across the UK’s four P&O education providers to help shape an approach that’s meaningful and beneficial to learners, and manageable in the context of other demands on their time.

The term ‘learner’ is used to describe students registered on university-based programmes of study and apprentices pursuing their qualifications via an apprenticeship pathway. Learners will be registered on one of the following educational pathways:

• Level 3 technicians apprenticeship at the University of Derby
• Level 6 degree apprenticeship at the University of Derby
• Pre-registration MSc at Keele University
• BSc (Hons) at the University of Salford
• BSc (Hons) at the University of Strathclyde

The aims of the Learner Reference Group are to:

1. Develop a sustainable approach that meets the needs and expectations of both the evolving learner community and BAPO as their professional body.
2. Improve direct engagement and two-way communication between BAPO and the learner community.
3. Improve BAPO’s awareness and understanding of issues impacting learners during their academic studies and while learning in practice settings.
4. Explore the guidance and resources BAPO could provide for learners to support their journey towards joining the professional community, complementing and adding value to, rather than duplicating, those available from education providers.
5. Create a space for the exchange of ideas and collaboration to enhance learner journeys and experiences.
6. Provide learners with opportunities to develop in the leadership pillar of practice, and to get to know and help to shape their professional body.
7. Support the building of professional networks and founding of lasting relationships with BAPO.

The first meeting of the new BAPO Learner Reference Group is scheduled to take place in early 2024. 

Watch this space for more information as it develops and unfolds.