News from Ergotherapie Austria
Earlier this year, COTEC Vice President Yara Peterko was invited to a Board Meeting of our association. We shared the new structure the Austrian Association of Occupational Therapists has for their board meetings with the rest of the COTEC Executive Committee.
In 2024, Ergotherapie Austria revised the structure of its board meetings to enhance communication, align the association’s strategic direction more broadly, and increase efficiency. The board now meets four times a year: twice for full-day in-person meetings and twice in the evening as online sessions.
According to the statutes of Ergotherapie Austria, the participation of voluntary representatives from the federal states, the Ethics Committee, the journal editorial team, representatives of universities of applied sciences, the student representation, as well as COTEC and WFOT delegates and their deputies is explicitly encouraged. This also guarantees a wide variety of occupational therapists in different stages and fields with various needs.
The first board meetings in this new format have already taken place, were well received, and have proven to be an important step toward transparent and broadly supported decision-making. To ensure smooth operational management, the executive board continues to meet monthly. Additionally, regular coordination meetings between the board and functionaries, as well as training sessions on relevant topics, take place. This ensures a well-founded and efficient association work while strengthening the shared focus.
News from Česká Asociace Ergoterapeutů (Czech Republic)
The Czech OT community is making significant strides in advocacy, education, and professional development. Our advocacy group within the Ministry of Health has been actively engaged in the consultation process regarding the reclassification of occupational therapy expertise to a higher service provider group—equivalent to physiotherapists. A vote on this important change is scheduled for March.
In education and professional growth, we now have 103 OTs with a master’s degree, marking a milestone for the profession. Meanwhile, the third issue of Ergoterapie: Teorie a praxe has been published, continuing to support knowledge-sharing in the field.
Preparations are in full swing for the National Conference of Occupational Therapy, taking place on Friday, May 16th. This key event will also host elections for the executive committee and a general assembly.
Further strengthening our collaboration with policymakers, we are leading a public contract with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, reinforcing OT’s role in health and social care. Additionally, a new clinical interest group for hand therapy has been established, reflecting growing specialization within the profession.
These developments highlight the ongoing progress of occupational therapy in the Czech Republic, strengthening both its recognition and impact.
News from Ergoterapeutforeningen (Denmark)
Denmark is undergoing a “Reform Storm,” aiming to reduce bureaucracy and enhance professionalism. Here are key updates relevant to occupational therapy:
Education Reform:
Discussions are underway to adjust the Master’s in Occupational Therapy to a 4-year program tailored for working professionals. With the reform, the government will cut three months of occupational therapy education, so that in the future it will take 3 years and 3 months to become an occupational therapist instead of 3.5 years as it does today. It will be teaching in philosophy of science that will be shortened, which the Occupational Therapist Association is certainly not enthusiastic about. Philosophy of science is relevant for occupational therapists. We must implement relevant evidence and develop our own practice. Therefore, we need to take a critical approach to knowledge.
Health Reform:
Denmark’s healthcare system faces geographical differences, where rural areas lack access to care. The new health reform will structurally and geographically create a more coherent and efficient health service that ensures better treatment closer to the citizens. The reform focuses on strengthening the local healthcare system, relieving the burden on hospitals, improving cooperation between sectors and ensuring more equal access to healthcare services across the country.
Elderly Reform:
Inspired by the Netherlands and Sweden, Denmark’s new Elderly Act focuses on citizen involvement, trust in professionals, and less micromanagement. The reform emphasizes interdisciplinary teams in delivering holistic care, especially in prevention and rehabilitation. Occupational therapists will play a key role, but the shortage of nursing staff may require them to handle non-therapy tasks, a concern raised by the Danish Occupational Therapist Association.
Cancer Treatment and Occupational Therapy:
The Danish Health Authority, with input from occupational therapists, is revising cancer treatment plans to integrate rehabilitation into all patient pathways. This approach will ensure consistent rehabilitation efforts across the country, enhancing patients’ functional capacity and quality of life, and pushing forward the role of occupational therapy in cancer care.
News from Suomen Toimintaterapeuttiliitto ry (Finland)
Finnish occupational therapists celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Finnish OT association this year. Preparations are underway for an anniversary seminar taking place in autumn 2025. A major change for our association last year was our long-term executive director Leila Mäkelä moving on in her career. Tove Lassenius started as executive director in the summer of 2024. In autumn 2025, the president for 2026-2029 will be chosen through an election. The strategy of the association was updated in autumn 2024 and its implementation starts this year.
A major matter this spring are the public sector collective agreement negotiations starting in March. Occupational therapists are represented in the negotiations by Negotiation Organisation for Public Sector Professionals (JUKO). Central objectives among others are wage increases that secure purchasing power, as well as appropriate compensation for the travel time during the working day caused by working in multiple locations. In the spring of 2024, collective agreement negotiations were held in the private health care sector, resulting in an agreement that is valid until 2026. The public sector pay system reform was completed in 2024 and its implementation is in progress.
In Finland, changes brought about by the wellbeing service counties are still ongoing, and the effects on the work of occupational therapists vary between regions. There is still a shortage of occupational therapists in Finland, particularly outside the central cities. The current government continues to make legislative changes. A major change affecting occupational therapists is the comprehensive reform of the Act on Social and Health Care Professionals. It examines which professions will be regulated by law in the future. The reform work takes place from autumn 2024 through 2027. From the point of view of occupational therapists, it is essential that the profession is regulated by law. The association does advocacy work to ensure that this will be the case in the future as well. Another major legislative preparation concerns the range of services in the social welfare and health care. In practice, this is a discussion on priorities, i.e. on which principles are resources in the sector allocated in the future. The association together with its members has participated in the preparation pointing out matters relevant for occupational therapy.
So, in addition to the anniversary, this year is about advocating for occupational therapy visibility and reinforcing the position of occupational therapists in working life!
News from Deutscher Verband Ergotherapie (Germany)
After our 70th anniversary last year and the fantastic OT-Europe Congress in Krakow, we are currently preparing for the ‘regular’ National Occupational Therapy congress that the DVE organises every year. It will take place in Würzburg from 15 to 17 May 2025 and we are looking forward to welcoming many (also international) participants. A warm invitation!
We have just had early elections in Germany (they should have been in the autumn), so we are currently waiting to see how the circumstances and responsibilities in the relevant ministries develop in our political work. We are not sitting idly by and are preparing for various scenarios.
One aspect that the whole DVE is concerned about, and which was also discussed in a workshop with our delegates from the various committees, is how to deal with populist parties in professional political work. We are seeing the rise of political parties in Germany that we believe are incompatible with the values of occupational therapy. As an association, we are taking a clear stance and are pleased that other associations, particularly in the social and health sectors, are also standing with us.
Last but not least, we are very much looking forward to the upcoming COTEC General Assembly, where we hope to welcome many European friends in Berlin.
News from Panhellenic Association of Ergotherapists (Greece)
The Panhellenic Association of Ergotherapists (Greece), will hold the 8th National Congress in Athens, Greece, between 16-18th May 2025. To celebrate and to ease the access of colleagues who live far from Athens, all three regional depts of the association have held pre-congress conferences (one or two days).
New working groups have been created within the Association regarding the History of Occupational Therapy in Greece (mapping of history), the creation of Minimum Standards for supervisors, as well as the creation of Minimum Standards for the Operational Permit of private occupational therapy centres.
Furthermore, the National Code of Conduct and Ethics was published in July 2024, following the accreditation by the Ministry of Health and the publication to the Government’s Gazette as a Ministerial Decision. This has empowered the commence of the national association’s Disciplinary Boards.
A new national Strategy for Mental Health has been published, which does not include Occupational Therapy as one of the core professions, but rather as a supplementary service. The National Association Board has advocated towards this, hoping for an amended version of the Strategy.
News from Ergotherapie-Verband Schweiz (Switzerland)
The new year brings a new Managing Director in Antonella Rossi and a new secretary in Isabell Hofer. We hope to achieve greater stability with this new change in management. From March, a specialist responsible for professional policy will also take over operational support and advice on professional policy issues.
Since Summer 2024, the EVS has an Ethics Advisor and an Ethics Advisory Board to replace the Ethics and Complaints Council. This will give ethics more weight in the association and in occupational therapy. We also hope that the reorganisation will result in a more direct way of working. In addition to the Code of Professional Conduct, topics such as AI and planetary health are also key areas of work.
Dealing with scarce resources remains a key challenge, as almost everywhere on the globe. At the Swiss OT Congress 2024, various topics such as difficulties in triage, motivating staff despite limited resources and waiting list management were discussed in a workshop. In addition, the opportunity was offered in November to network in an online peer exchange and discuss creative ideas for dealing with difficult situations such as long waiting lists. The shortage of skilled labour is and remains a challenge that requires targeted measures.
Another important step in 2024 is the establishment of the CIRS for the outpatient sector. Access to a national error reporting centre is a prerequisite for authorisation to work in the outpatient sector. CIRS can also make an important contribution to the development and establishment of an error culture.
Advanced practice is a major issue for the healthcare professions in Switzerland, even if no other compensation is planned for the time being. Switzerland only recognises one level of compensation per professional group. Nevertheless, the professional associations are working intensively on advanced practice. For example, the EVS published a position paper to this topic. A network is currently being set up for occupational therapists who already work in AP roles.
In Autumn 2024, after a good two years of preparation, we submitted our Top 5 list to ‘Smarter Medicine-Choosing Wisely Switzerland’ and was accepted. The AOTA’s list served as the basis for the compilation. Many thanks to the AOTA for allowing us to use their list. The publication is planned for 2025.
The website and the magazine will be given a new look, in these days. We are pleased with the fresher and more dynamic appearance.
Best wishes from Switzerland.
News from Royal College of Occupational Therapists (United Kingdom)
Like many European countries, the British health and care systems are struggling. Populations that are growing and ageing, lack of investment, and difficulties recruiting and retaining the right staff are leading to a crisis that cannot be ignored.
The funding and structures of our systems aren’t designed for our ageing populations, increasingly living with long-term health conditions. Despite policy focussed on prevention and early intervention and the ambition for community-based delivery in the UK, funding and focus is trapped in supporting acute and hospital services. This needs to change, and we believe that growing and repositioning some of the occupational therapy workforce into primary and community services is the answer.
Our ambition is that, by 2035, everyone who needs occupational therapy will be able to get it, in a timely manner.
By positioning occupational therapists in the community – where they’re most needed – people will have the support they need to live in their own homes for longer and continue with the work and leisure occupations that are important to them. It could help reduce waiting lists, get people back into work sooner, and help decrease their dependency on care services.
The role of occupational therapy in hospitals will still be vital, but needs to be more defined. Rehabilitation must start from the earliest stage in critical care, working within specialist rehabilitation pathways and therapy-led rehabilitation units. We need to rethink the role in supporting discharge across wider hospital services and to explore alternative models. Initiatives already in progress involve upskilling support staff, testing in-reach models or having teams rotating across communities and the hospital.
We want families and schools to have access to expertise to prevent physical, learning and mental health difficulties from escalating, giving young people the best chance to realise their potential. We also want learning environments to be more inclusive, supporting more children and young people to attend school with their peers.
People should be able to access occupational therapy assessment, advice and rehabilitation through their GP, including advice on returning or remaining in work and driving. With our workforce strategy, there would be fair and equitable access to needs-based, therapy-led rehabilitation, whether that is tackling mental health, physical health, social or vocational needs.
Occupational therapists would ensure that new-builds or repurposed housing stock, prison and care home environments were designed to be inclusive of people of all ages, abilities and needs. It would mean more people would be living in accommodation that suited their needs.
Every person in our communities deserves to be supported where they live, maintaining their routines and doing what they value. By including more occupational therapists in the community, we will be able to do this.
