Meeting with the Physiotherapy Board

18 October 2024 at 2:45 pm

PHYSIOTHERAPY BOARD AND NZPT

MEETING

Present: Jeanette Woltman-Black, James Dunne, Malcolm Hood, Lee Gardiner, Benjamin Hinchcliff, Graeme Hayhow, Mark Leys & Chris LaPine.

The Board Presented:

The Board now has a new database replacing the previous one, which was 23 years old.

Physiotherapist registration numbers have stabilised recently.

Four physiotherapy schools are accredited. The Auckland University Physiotherapy Master’s degree first graduates will be qualified soon. AUT’s Master of Physiotherapy Practice graduate-entry programme will start next year.

The MoH are reviewing the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act. This may be due to workforce, and other issues. There is likely to be consultation on this next year.

The return to practise has been streamlined and there are some good results around supervision requirements.  There is more certainty on what is required. The return to practice fee may be reduced by 50% next year.

Physiotherapy is the third largest registered occupation in New Zealand.

The Board is considering a decrease in the APC fee. The Board has a surplus, and this is being managed down over the next few years.

Answers From the Board:

There is a flattened number of complaints concerning physiotherapists. This sits at around forty per year.

It is not the Board’s duty to write requirements to meet practice standards other than as set out in the Practice Thresholds.

Workforce numbers are becoming an issue related to the health professions. There are issues with the geographical distribution of skills.

There may be problems with patients seeing two treating physiotherapists at the same time. It is not good to be acting in complete ignorance of each other. However, patients may choose to be seen by various practitioners at the same time. A responsible physio would ask if the patient were seeing anyone else. It may be more challenging where there is disagreement in judgement between two practitioners. The Board mandates relate to individual physiotherapy practitioners.

Ordering MRI’s is within a physiotherapist’s scope of practice. The Registrar agrees to write a letter confirming this if required. We understand there is capacity for providers to do more MRI’s.

The retention of New Zealand physiotherapy graduates is around 60%. Newly registered internationals are around 12% (many are using New Zealand as a stepping stone to Australia).  Feedback from these international graduates is that the cost of living in New Zealand is a concern. The ease of moving to Australia (under Trans-Tasman Mutual Recognition Act) means that New Zealand physiotherapists move there. 

The Board listened to the fact that physiotherapists are interested in dermatology courses to help with carcinoma identification. The Board may have some discussions and revert. If a carcinoma is suspected, the patient should be referred to their GP. 

The Board gives physiotherapists three titles: General, APP and Specialist. Other titles are up to individuals (such as senior).  Honorary memberships are at the discretion of the institution/associations etc.

Complaints to the Board are now less destructive to physiotherapists and they are still working on improving this – feedback has been positive.

Physiotherapists may also be practising as Rongoā Māori Practitioners which is becoming a point of interest, but there have been no issues.