In a climate of financial constraint the National Health Service (NHS) faces the challenge of simultaneously improving productivity and enhancing quality. The pledges to staff within the NHS Constitution and the launch of a Simplified Knowledge and Skills Framework recognise that an appropriately trained workforce, that feels engaged with and valued by its employers, is pivotal to success. This opinion piece proposes that these policy developments have provided opportunities to develop integrated approaches to appraisal, continuing professional development and supervision that may balance the competing demands faced by therapists working in busy health and social care environments.
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