STA208 'Statutory Regulation For Sports Therapists?' Matt Phillips, Gary Benson, Anna Maria Mazzieri

Do you think Statutory Regulation for Sports Therapists is something we should be trying to acheive for our industry? What are the pros and cons? Is it something we should strive for, or is it a pipe dream that could never really be achieved even if we wanted it?

In Ep.208 of the Sports Therapy Association Podcast, host Matt Phillips of Runchatlive.com is joined by Gary Benson, founder of the STA, and Anna Maria Mazzieri, Director of TheSTSchool, to discuss the topic of Statutory Regulation for Sports Therapists.

This episode was sparked by the information given on a recent post from the Society of Sports Therapists (SST) suggesting that "with a new government, this might finally push through this vital regulation." Gary Benson presents historic evidence showing that it is highly unlikely Sports Therapy will be considered for statutory regultation any time soon. Anna Maria Mazzieri argues that although standardisation of training & practice is something our industry needs, statutory regulation is not needed to achieve it. 

The episode also highlights issues caused by misinformation from professional associations in the public domain, and clashes due to conflicting interests. An invite is offered to representatives from the SST and STO to be guests on a future Part 2 of the podcast.

Chapter Markers: 

• 00:00:00 - Welcome to the Sports Therapy Association Podcast
• 00:03:27 - Invitation to representatives from SST & STO to be podcast guests in Part 2
• 00:03:47 - Background of Gary Benson, Anna Maria Mazzieri & Matt Philips
• 00:08:25 - Understanding the HCPC and its functions
• 00:12:23 - Standardization vs. Statutory Regulation
• 00:17:01 - Concerns about potential misdiagnosis without standardization
• 00:20:46 - Protected titles and their significance
• 00:30:36 - Exploring the landscape of professional associations
• 00:37:32 - Discussion on the role of the Professional Standards Authority
• 00:38:57 - Examining Current Stakeholder Misinformation
• 00:44:15 - Conflict of Interest in Professional Associations
• 00:52:22 - The Need for Collaboration and Accountability
• 00:54:05 - Invitation to representatives from SST & STO to be podcast guests in Part 2
• 00:59:17 - Conflict of Interest and Regulatory Support
• 01:06:45 - Moving Forward with Industry Standardization
• 01:13:27 - Communication and Collaboration between Professional Associations
• 01:15:54 - What to do if you have been affected by this episode
• 01:17:16 - Reflection in the Industry
• 01:19:45 - Therapist Self Care - Visit mehab.co.uk 

Useful Links

• SST Chairman Prof Graham Smith interviewed by Sky Sports - had the ideal opportunity to highlight that Sports Therapists are ideally placed to manage injuries through to return to sport

• Prof Graham Smith on 'Chewing it Over', during which he clearly identifies he was responsible for setting the minimum standards for working in sports medical teams as a Physio Degree.

Want to join the live recordings?
Episodes of the Sports Therapy Association podcast are recorded live every TUESDAY at 8pm on the Sports Therapy Association YOUTUBE CHANNEL and FACEBOOK page. Everyone is welcome - you do not have to be an STA member! If you cannot join us live, be sure to subscribe to the 'Sports Therapy Association Podcast' on all popular podcast apps to be notified when new episodes are available.

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Questions?
Email: matt@thesta.co.uk