Exercise referral: How close are we to having staff who are suffi ciently qualifi ed that GPs are able to pass on liability?
chris onslow mbodies training academy • director
will soon find themselves under-qualified if they haven’t started focusing on a number of Level 4 qualifications. But at the moment there are many
“W
barriers to entry. First of all, not enough Level 4s are being run, partly because it’s so costly for deliverers. In addition, the
knowledge of anatomy and physiology required for Level 4 is far beyond that of most Level 3 students, so some Level 4s have been dumbed down; students who have invested in these qualifications still don’t feel sufficiently expert by the end of the course. So there’s some way to go before Level 4s are embraced
by the medical community, with GPs willing to hand over the liability for patients, but this is what the fitness industry should work towards. Our courses will focus heavily on record keeping to get in line with medical culture. We’re also splitting our Level 4 courses into modules, specialising in separate conditions such as breast cancer and MS: this gives candidates more time to study and get the background knowledge necessary for the full Level 4. In the meantime they have a qualification, which we hope will be endorsed by the relevant charities.
” september 2011 © cybertrek 2011
e believe that many personal trainers and pilates instructors
tom bell skillsactive • endorsement manager
3 Exercise Referral, which is key in helping the fitness industry gain the confidence of the medical sector. The long-term aim for Level 4 is that GPs
“L
will view it as equal to a physiotherapy qualification and will be confident in referring patients and transferring the
liability in the same way that they now refer to physios. We’ve already made some strong links with the medical community, with increasing levels of interest from them, and Level 4 can act as a bridge between the two sectors. Further down the line, we might start to see some NHS staff cross over to take Level 4s to support their work, or alternatively fitness instructors might take part in NHS courses on subjects like smoking cessation. But although Level 4 instructors are the fastest growing part
of the REPs register, there are still not enough Level 4 graduates: we need more training providers on-board. We’re talking to a number of universities which are looking at incorporating Level 4 into their degree programmes. This would increase the number of Level 4-qualified fitness instructors, as well as providing a new career path for graduates wanting to come into the industry.
” Read Health Club Management online
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 29
evel 4 awards offer a logical progression route from Level
PIC: ©
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