University College Dublin

While professional mobility across Europe is important, it should not come at the expense of patient care. I do not support Ireland's participation in the proposed Common Training Framework (CTF) in its current form.

I am professor of clinical nutrition and dietetics and have worked closely with physiotherapy colleagues for more than 30 years. I fully understand the concerns of my professional colleagues, other healthcare professionals and those requiring physiotherapy assessment and management in Ireland regarding the proposed Common Training Framework.

I oppose the Common Training Framework and call on Ireland to opt out on the grounds of patient safety, protection of the public and professional standards of physiotherapy because: -Autonomy varies across countries: Not all physiotherapists are trained to work at the same level of autonomy, which may affect patient safety and quality of care.

I oppose this initiative as it will have a significant negative impact on the quality of healthcare provided to patients in Ireland. Irish physiotherapists from accredited Irish training programs are trained to a significantly higher standard than most others and therefore have a significantly broader scope of practice with much greater potential for independent practice as well as practice within part of a…

As Head of Discipline of Physiotherapy at University College Dublin, Ireland, I wish to express my concerns regarding the proposed Common Training Framework (CTF) for Physiotherapists and its potential implications for professional standards, regulatory oversight and patient safety. I strongly support professional mobility across Europe. However, mobility should not come at the expense of public protection.