The APA’s Department of Veterans’ Affairs survey, report and campaign is a classic example of this aspect of advocacy, which can really pay dividends if we follow due process, ensure that all conventional and departmental pathways have been addressed and keep the consumer (in this case the veteran community) at the centre of our message.

Over the past few years we have met with department heads and shadow ministers, addressed data shortfalls and attended stakeholder meetings. 

We recently met with the Secretary of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Alison Frame. 

We have written to Minister for Veterans’ Affairs Matt Keogh and Assistant Minister Matt Thistlethwaite, had questions posed at Senate estimates and ensured that the voice of the veteran community was listened to and respected.

And still there have been no significant changes to promote continued access to physiotherapy for veterans, a population whose health demographics and need for service delivery are changing. 

A new generation of veterans is starting to access physiotherapy services, often with more chronic diseases and with significant mental and physical health issues that need addressing.

We have been consistent in our message—if there is no improvement in fees for veterans’ care, there will inevitably be a significant reduction in the number of practices that are able to provide the care that veterans need and deserve. 

Rising costs in every direction are forcing practices to think hard about how they can provide care to all communities and whether it is viable to continue. 

The veteran, disability and Medicare sectors are not keeping up with the pace of service delivery remuneration and this is putting access to quality care in jeopardy.

I think our professional decency has been taken advantage of for a long time. 

The APA’s Department of Veterans’ Affairs campaign calls for us all to make sure that our elected political representatives are aware of the price disparities in care delivery.

We have emailed members and promoted our veterans campaign on our social media outlets. 

Curtley Nelson, an APA member and a veteran himself, has pleaded with our politicians to ensure that all Australians have access to the care they need from the appropriate practitioner. 

This will not continue to happen unless the fee structure and patient journey improve. 

I urge every member to write to their federal member of parliament and request that they bring this issue to the attention of the Minister and Assistant Minister for Veterans’ Affairs.

This approach is working.

Many members have had face-to-face meetings or received letters back from their member of parliament, saying that they will raise the issue with the minister and that it doesn’t make sense. 

Within half a day of our campaign release, we had a meeting secured with Catherine Bergin, Chief of Staff to the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs. 

She acknowledged the volume of communication her office has been receiving and said she will brief the minister but that it’s a budgetary issue on which the government would have the final say.

Now is the time to use our 32,000 member voices and not let physiotherapists continue to be taken advantage of by the department and by politicians, who are elected by us in the first place. 

We have templates available on our website, ready for you to auto-populate and send to your local member.

Take care, stay safe. 

Thank you.

Follow Scott on X @president_apa or email.