Giving all Australians access to good-quality primary healthcare should form the cornerstone of the nation’s health agenda, the leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Richard Di Natale, believes. But healthcare is the one topic largely being ignored by the major parties heading into this year’s Federal Election, the Senator says.

Addressing a meeting of the National Advisory Council (NAC) at the APA office in Melbourne in late February, the Senator welcomed the invitation to speak and discuss what he considers to be the most pressing healthcare concerns ahead of the poll.

Last year the federal government made the decision to make certain natural therapies ineligible for private health insurance rebates, coming into effect on 1 April. Included in this banner is Pilates. Three APA members explain how they are preparing for the changes. Skye Mitchell reports.

Australia’s peak medical bodies have significant influence. In early January, we coordinated and hosted a key advocacy meeting with some of our nation’s most prominent and politically relevant medical organisations.

There were a few reasons for our decision to lead this event.

This includes seeking meetings with government and insurance bodies to ensure the profession has input to policy that would impact patient outcomes financially and medically.

‘National lifetime achievement award winner’ can now be added to APA member Jennie Hewitt’s list of achievements. Jennie was acknowledged on 5 September for her services to aged care in Sydney as part of the 2018 Aged and Community Services Australia (ACSA) aged care awards.

COVID-19 has continued to drain health resources in 2021, forcing much of the sector to jostle for the scraps of decision-makers’ attention and budgets.

Fortunately, there have been a number of opportunities to advocate for the benefits of physiotherapy amid the clamour.

It has been another unusual, unsettling but very busy year for myself, the Board, the Executive Leadership Team, the National Advisory Council, engaged members, the profession and the APA.

However, I am so proud to be a leader of the APA, which has supported its members and staff so well through these unprecedented times, including: