ENTRY-LEVEL PHYSIOTHERAPY EDUCATION IN THE UNITED KINGDOM: GOVERNANCE AND CURRICULUM

In the UK, major changes are occurring in the regulatory and professional bodies' governance of physiotherapy education. Registration with the Health Professions' Council (the regulatory body) is a requirement to practice physiotherapy in the UK. Physiotherapy education is provided by universities, at a minimum of BSc(Hons) degree level. Funded by the National Health Service (NHS), programmes have to meet the requirements of the regulatory and professional bodies, as well as the NHS and the university sector's quality assurance processes. These quality assurance processes are under review. The education curriculum is determined by the profession, and prescribes the outcomes of programmes, but is less specific about content or hours of study. Reviews of the curriculum involve the clinical physiotherapy community. The professional curriculum incorporates and integrates biomedical and other sciences, applied to physiotherapy. Although female students predominate, the student population has become increasingly diverse in terms of age. Clinical education is provided and assessed by mainly NHS-employed physiotherapists.