876

Attitudes Don’t Just Hang in the A i r . . . MADAM - With reference to the letter from Mr Bert Massie in the November issue of Physiotherapy about my article (September, pages 619-627), I wish to point out that my references to Radar, and organisations like it, are from literature written by disabled people and comments made by the disabled people I interviewed. Whatever the facts about Radar, appar- ently the perceptions of disabled people are different. If an organisation working for women’s rights employed 75% men and of its 500 member organisations 350 were controlled by men, I doubt whether it would be taken seriously by women.

It is a pity that as the director of a major national body working in the field of disability and rehabilitation, Mr Massie did not see fit to comment on the results of the research and the relevance of such issues to the lives of disabled people and the rehabilitation professionls who work with them. Ros Johnson MCSP Derby

MADAM - Having recently seen the article by Ros Johnson in your September issue, I feel compelled to write in order to redress the imbalanced views stated.

During the course of the last seven years, I have received physiotherapy treatment from a number of sources. These include both NHS and private hospitals as well as some domiciliary; covering neurological, chest and cardiac therapy.

Throughout this time, including daily

treatment for just over one year, I have never experienced the type of attitude expressed in the article. To the contrary, I can truthfully say that each and every therapist has respected my feelings and dignity. I have been consulted at all stages, from total paralysis to my present condition as a wheelchair user, and the progress I have made is a tribute to their care and expertise.

At the beginning of the article, the summary states: ‘These attitudes have been poorly researched, especially within the physiotherapy profession.’ I submit that the article does nothing to change this. How can an assumption be made on the views of only four people, all of whom are from one fraternity?

Some of the other comments regarding attitudes of others, including the general public, seem to be superfluous to this article. I agree that there is much work to be done and, as a full-time wheelchair user I have cognisance of this.

In summary, the criticisms, however honestly expressed by the participants, are in my view not justified. My experience, gained over seven years, has given me first-hand knowledge of relationships between various professions and people like myself. Apart from some isolated instances, I have not experienced or observed the type of attitude your article portrays. Ted Gates Cheam Surrey

Manual Handling Together MADAM - May I say how much I benefited from attending a one-day conference on manual handling issues held by the Chartered Society of Physio- therapy.

The programme was informative and the speakers excellent. As one of only two nurses present, however, I must state how appalled I was to hear so many negative and patronising comments about my profession. As a nurse I do recognise my limitations but am also aware that I have different skills from those of a physio- therapist. Working as part of a multi- disciplinary team, we in our hospital are united in aiming to improve manual handling issues, whatever our skills. It saddens me greatly to hear such negative attitudes which must surely only add to any lack of communication.

How fortunate I am to be working on manual handing issues together with the senior physiotherapist, occupational therapist and a support service manager. Together we work as a team with one aim in mind - to improve manual handling issues in our hospital. I like to think we all value each other as individuals. all of us

realising we each have different skills and only together will be able to achieve any of our objectives.

I do hope we are not the minority. S Goold RGN In-service training sister Delancey Hospital Cheltenham

Contact Point Car Seat Paln MADAM - I wish to know whether certain car seats tend to cause low back pain - this could affect my firm’s future car purchasing. If any physiotherapist has identified such a link I would be grateful for this information, including the make and model of the vehicle concerned.

Any recommendation for a device which alleviates this problem would also be welcome. M B Ward Safety Manager Pershke Price Service Organisation Ltd Dover House 141 Morden Road Mitcham Surrey CR4 4XB

A Charter for All? MADAM - Concerning Mr Skyte’s response in the October Physiotherapy Journal that to make a men’s charter a list of male specific conditions would be needed, the Physiotherapists Charter for Women’s Health certainly was not based on this premise. An incredible ten of the 14 rights given to women in the charter would be applicable to men if a charter were to be made for them.

Many of the rights have no basis in sex at all, the right to direct access to a chartered physiotherapist and rehabilita- tion after major surgery being two of the more peculiar additions to a charter based on gender.

A step forward is being missed by giving only women the right to physiotherapy treatment for incontinence. Perhaps if the clear right to treatment was given to men with incontinence it would encourage them to seek treatment for their condition.

If our Women’s Charter is actually of significance then we have given men less claim than women to ten important rights, which is a very poor situation for any professional body.

Perhaps a straight forward Physio- therapy Charter for All Patients would correct the imbalance. James McGregor MCSP Canterbury

The Susie Corset MADAM - We have had an excellent response from physiotherapists and patients in the UK and overseas to our paper in the July issue of Physiotherapy on ‘Management of gross divarication of the recti abdominis in pregnancy and labour’.

This has encouraged us to look further into the prevalence and management of divarication of the rectus abdominis muscles in pregnancy; a condition which we believe to be common but under- diagnosed and undermanaged. We will shortly be circulating a questionnaire to the senior obstetric physiotherapist in every maternity unit in the UK and hope that this will provide insight into current practice.

We would also like to apologise to H W Poole and Son, who made the special corset. Due to a typographical error on our part they were referred to in the acknowledgements in our paper as W A Poole & Son. As a result some inquirers have had difficulty in contacting them. The correct contact address is H W Poole and Son (attn Mr Paul Morrison), Crispin House, New York Road, Leeds LS2 7PG (telO532 433045).

The corset is now being manufactured as the ‘Susie corset’ and is available, in three sizes, directly from the above company. Susie Thornton GradDipPhys MCSP Simon Thornton MD MRCOG Sheff ield

Physiotherapy, December 1993, vol79, no 12