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30 July 2008

This year it is the Free State Department of Health's turn to host the annual Forum for Occupational Therapists from all over the country, both in the public and the private sector.

The National Occupational Therapy Forum is a mechanism for negotiation and lobbying and also serves to:
* empower the occupational therapy workforce
* facilitate networking throughout the country
* pool information resources
* identify and deal with occupational therapy issues of national concern.

The aim of the National Occupational Therapy Forum’s 2008 conference is to facilitate the strategic positioning of the profession in South Africa. The Forum Programme will cover a wide variety of issues pertaining to the positioning of services, the rendering of services, service management and student training. The participation of representatives from a variety of service rendering organisations, training institutions and professional organisations is important, as this forum is intended to serve as a platform for obtaining consensus regarding occupational therapy service within identified National Health Policies.

Hosting of the Annual National Occupational Therapy Forum’s Conference is rotated between the nine provinces since 1994; it will be the Free State Department of Health’s turn again in 2008. The Free State also hosted the conference nine years ago, namely in 1999.

Please confirm which of the sessions you want to attend and with whom you will need interviews / photos.

Day 1:
Date: 6 August 2008
Formal gala dinner
Time: 17h45
Highlights:
* Welcome to the Free State province
* John Crowley – artist
* Combined report from provinces
* Combined report from universities
* Farewell to a legend
* Dinner
* Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA) report
* National Health Department Report
* Occupational Therapy Association of South Africa (OTASA) Report

Day 2:
Date: 7 August 2008
Time: 8h00
Highlights:
Official welcome
* Introduction
* Keynote address
* Confirmation of forum objectives based on the expectations submitted by participants
* Confirmation of the programme feedback from delegates on matters arising from the previous National Forum for Occupational Therapy
* Tea and refreshments
* In-depth discussion of issues identified in reports delivered at the gala dinner
* Consolidation of problems and needs from the reports and decision on future action to be taken
* Lunch
* Ethics as part of management
* Discussion of matters raised by provinces in expectations:
- Occupation Specific Dispensation (OSD)
- HPCSA fees
- OTT training and upgrading
- Scope of OT vs PT/ use of activities
- Early childhood development and school health problem/ management and outcome. How must we handle this sensitive problem?
- Evolution of VEC and rehabilitation in context with the South African population and situation.
* Informal dinner

Day 3:
Date: 8 August 2008
Time: 8h30
* Summarisation of previous day, outstanding discussion and feedback of last session
* Geriatric care in the public sector
* TEA
* Outcome based practice with relevance to occupational therapy; clinical audits and time frames, outcome and links to data.
* Council for Health Service Accreditation of Southern Africa (COHSASA)
* Conclusion of tasks to be done
* Evaluation and closure
* Lunch

For more information contact:
Gela van Heerden
Tel: 051 408 1278
Fax: 051 408 1055
Cell: 082 381 9483
E-mail: vheerdenep@fshealth.gov.za

Issued by: Department of Health, Free State Provincial Government
30 July 2008