Is physiotherapy blog too cynical?

I wonder if this blog is too cynical when I look at some of the other offerings out there. I set this blog up in response to the lack of blogs physical therapy blogs and the few "physiotherapy" blogs out there seem to be written by people still in love with the profession and its ideas. I can see a lot more of the shortcomings in physiotherapy than they can. Some physiotherapy material seems to be an extension of the treatment room with therapists offereing advice about exercises and treatment. I heard the other day about a site (and i don't know the name) which sounds a con. For a certain amount of money it is supposed to be possible to enter a health problem and the online clinician will give professional advice and a diagnosis. Guess they must be heaps better then me to be able to give out advice to unseen individuals with vague problems and then charge them for it! It stikes me as a bit of a risk because there is no regulation of the internet and anyone can set up a website in a country which does not have any regulations of physical therapy and then take whatever money they want for dealing out any old trash for advice. The internet is cool for finding large amounts of info but poor for ensuring the quality of the info. It's all down to the individual to be careful.

Autonomy of the physiotherapy profession

I've read today that we've just passed something of a milestone for the autonomy of physiotherapy in the UK. According to Frontline it is 30 years since the British Department of Health made the first moves towards giving physios autonomy. I'm not quite clear about how some people link this with patient self referral in the NHS. The profession has had true autonomy for a number of years but this has existed in non-NHS independent healthcare. This idea of NHs self referral is not primarily an issue of autonomy but about the way free physiotherapy is accessed. It's not autonomy that's the issue but NHS housekeeping arrangements. Allowing everyone to refer themselves to an NHS physio puts local NHS departments in direct competition with private healthcare facilities but I don't suppose that in too many parts of the UK self employed physios will be losing sleep over it. Many NHS physiotherapy departments have long waiting times and opening themselves up to self referral will make no difference to the public.The service will remain effectively inaccessible. If you have to wait 4 or 5 months to be seen on the NHS for an acute problem it will make no difference if your GP decided to send you or if you decide to take yourself there.