Biennium report 2023

INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR PROSTHETICS AND ORTHOTICS 33 How did the society support professional development for its members during the biennium? By presenting opinions to different government institutions in terms of reaching the standards in P&O services and professional gain, supporting their professional associations, placing the concept of Prosthetist Orthotist, which is new for Turkey, in acquiring duties, authorities and responsibilities. How did/does your member society contribute to the following: P&O Day, and ISPO World Congress? ISPO Turkey contributed by collaborating and contributing to two different universities, meeting with the sector and students, listening to their problems and sharing the developments in P&O. What is the society’s plan for the future, and how does it intend to continue serving its members and advancing ISPO’s mission? First of all, enduring and moving past these currently difficult situations in our country is a priority for our members. United Kingdom What does being part of ISPO mean for your member society? ISPO means ease of access to other member societies and the sense of security which comes from being part of a unique group that has genuine links worldwide. What were your main objectives and goals as a member society during the biennium? Our main objectives were to offer the members educational support, provide forums for the members to engage virtually and face to face, and to understand local policies and how they can be practically implemented. How has the membership base of the society changed during the biennium, and what strategies have been implemented to attract and retain members? The pattern of membership has remained the same despite cost pressures. However, membership always increases at the time of the ASM. How did the society support professional development for its members during the biennium? We provided access to webinars/SIGs/Virtual ASM 2021 & TIPS2022/f2f ASM2022. How does your member society use the new ISPO Community platform? We have only just joined but the provision of a webinar/ PowerPoint presentation from ISPO International on how to make best use of the ISPO Community Platform would be useful. And indeed, something which we could add to our website as we often get enquiries. How did/does your member society contribute to the following: P&O Day, and ISPO World Congress? Individuals, services, and commercial organisations used social media to raise awareness. Some hospitals allowed their social media services to be dedicated to P&O activities on the day, meeting the team, the patients and explaining what happens on a daily basis. What is the society’s plan for the future, and how does it intend to continue serving its members and advancing ISPO’s mission? We intend to continue delivering excellent clinical education programmes, including elements that are traditionally seen as ‘core’ such as in-clinic research. Also, partnering with the UK professional body to show support and raise awareness further is a priority. We will also continue to bring specialists together for educational events that will aim to enhance clinical practice for aid consistency and improved outcomes for patients.