What is a Chartered Physiotherapists?

A Chartered Physiotherapist is a practitioner whom has sought and obtained a four-year college degree, before going on to work in either a hospital setting or in private practice. Generally, we work closely with medical professionals such as GP’s and consultants to help rehabilitate patients with muscular-skeletal and neural concerns.

At present, in Ireland the four main colleges that train Chartered Physiotherapists are:

1) University College, Dublin

2) Trinity College, Dublin

3) Royal College of Surgeons

4) University of Limerick

Physiotherapy is a scientific and evidence based profession. It can, however, be misunderstood as our title - “Physiotherapists” – is, as yet, unprotected. This means other profession’s who, for instance, have undertaken weekend courses in sports training, can call themselves Physiotherapists, when they are unqualified to do so. Unfortunately, this is the cause of constant confusion for the general public.

For this reason, it is extremely important that each and every practitioner you are treated by carries the initials MISCP or SMISCP after their name.

We, as a profession, are governed by the ISCP – the regulatory body for Irish Physiotherapists. In order to keep up to date with current approaches to treatment, it is mandatory for each Chartered Physiotherapist to continue their professional training and development on a continuous basis.

When seeking any hands-on treatment, always ensure you are in the safest, most qualified hands possible.