Sir, - I am writing as a chartered physiotherapist in private practice in support of my colleagues in the public sector. Having previously worked in the public sector I understand exactly how they feel.
They are correct in saying that the salary they receive does not reflect the responsibilities they have, and that the promotional prospects are not there. These are the reasons why I decided to make the move to private practice.
What I fail to understand is how the Government can spend so much money on the training of chartered physiotherapists and then pay them so little that they do not stay in our public sector. There is huge emigration of chartered physiotherapists abroad and with the more attractive salaries and better promotional prospects, who can blame them?
Whereas the major hospitals' have fewer recruitment problems, in the more rural areas huge problems exist. If the salaries were better this would be a recruitment incentive and we could become the headhunters rather than the head hunted. - Yours, etc.,
Chartered Physiotherapist, Corfad,
Ballybay,
Co Monaghan