Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent analysis his Department has undertaken on the role of physiotherapy in reducing demand on acute hospital and social care services.

Recent policy and planning work has consistently recognised the contribution physiotherapists make to reducing pressure on acute hospital and social care services. Physiotherapists play an important role in urgent community response, rehabilitation, reablement and discharge support, helping to prevent hospital admissions, reduce length of stay, support timely discharge and maintain people’s independence at home, which can in turn reduce reliance on longer-term social care.