Notice Board
News from the Board
Introduction of the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme in Western Australia
The Acting Minister for Health has informed the Physiotherapists' Registration Board of Western Australia that the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law (WA) Bill 2010 will not be operational in time for Western Australia to participation in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme until 18 October 2010.
This date has been selected in order to provide for a smooth transition process for all health professions.
The WA government is committed to participate in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme.
The delay results in the following requirements for practitioners:
- The continuation of the Physiotherapists' Registration Board of Western Australia under existing current state legislation until the new legislation is operational.
- Practitioners are required to hold current registration with the Physiotherapists' Registration Board of Western Australia in order to practise in WA.
- WA registered practitioners are required to obtain a registration with the Physiotherapists' Registration Board of Australia in order to practise in other States and Territories. This applies until Western Australia enter the national scheme.
October 2009
November 2009
February 2010
December 2009 - Congratulations to Sabrina Goodall who was awarded the Board prize for 2009 for the most outstanding graduating student in the Bachelor of Physiotherapy Degree at the University of Notre Dame Australia.
Fee increases
As indicated on the renewal reminder and in the current newsletter, the registration and practising fees in Western Australia have been increased for the next financial year.
Please bear in mind these fees have not been increased in the last 10 years and the new fees do not take into account the full impact of CPI increases over that time. The cost of implementation of the new Act and its ongoing additional administrative responsibilities, have forced the Board to make application to the Department of Health to increase the fees. The fee increase from $75.00 to $130.00 per annum has been approved by the Minister for Health.
Addresses on the Register
The Board has previously notified registrants regarding the public availability of practitioners’ addresses recorded on the Register (and consequently on the Board’s website in the search engine facility), but there is still some confusion surrounding this. The Act is very clear regarding the provision of an address as indicated in Sections 37 and 38. Recording an address in the Register, and making that address available to the public along with all other details in the Register, is compulsory under the terms of the Act, and the Board has no discretion in this regard. Practitioners do however, have a discretion as to which address is provided to the Board.
The provision of an address is not only to ensure you receive your renewal reminders in a timely manner to maintain your registration, but also to assist the public in identifying registered physiotherapists.
With this in mind, the Board would encourage practitioners to maintain a business/work address on the Register which would benefit not only the practitioner but also members of the public to not only locate a physiotherapist in their area but ensure they are receiving care from someone who is registered and therefore has the requisite qualifications and experience to provide it. For privacy reasons, it is highly recommended that a private address not be supplied to the Board. Whether or not the Register is published on the internet, the Board is (and always has been) obliged by law to release to the public information recorded in the Register, including the practitioner’s address as supplied.
Professional Indemnity Insurance (PII)
Whilst is it not yet a requirement of registration in Western Australia to hold PII, it is recommended by the Board. Section 31(2) of the Act (outlined below) allows the Board to require physiotherapists to hold PII, but it has chosen to link the requirement of PII with the proposed national registration scheme to come into effect from 1 July 2010 when it is likely this will be a mandatory requirement. This will enhance public safety and maintain confidence in the physiotherapy profession:
Section 31(2) states:“(2) Without limiting the Board’s powers under section 27, 28, 29 or 30 the Board may impose both of the following conditions as conditions of registration under section 27, 28, 29 or 30 —
(a) that —
(i) the physiotherapist must hold professional indemnity insurance;
(ii)the physiotherapy provided by the physiotherapist must be covered by professional indemnity insurance; or
(iii) the physiotherapist must be specified or referred to in professional indemnity insurance, whether by name or otherwise, as a person to whom the professional indemnity insurance extends even though the physiotherapist is not a party to the professional indemnity insurance;
(b) that the professional indemnity insurance must meet the minimum terms and conditions approved by the Board.”
There are some peculiarities regarding PII that the Board would like to bring to your attention:
· If your employer provides you with PII, and you intend to have any hands-on practise outside of your work or perhaps interstate for the purpose of undertaking additional assessments or examinations, you MUST ensure the insurance is extended to cover these unusual circumstances. If the employer or its insurer is unable to obtain extension of cover, then it is recommended you obtain your own personal PII.
· Similarly, if you are a member of the HSU in Western Australia, please check the extent of the cover when considering practising elsewhere in Australia or if attending professional development courses where a component of hands-on applies.
It is the physiotherapist’s responsibility to ensure they have adequate cover when practising physiotherapy.
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