Our new strategic plan identifies key priorities that will guide our work as the peak body representing 45,000 physiotherapists across Australia. 

In the feature article for May InMotion, Strategy and Policy Specialist Bronwyn Darmanin of the APA Policy and Government Relations team unpacked the APA’s 2025 federal election statement.

The APA’s 2025 election statement, Physiotherapy: putting patients at the centre of care, sets a clear direction for change. 

When cultural safety is talked about in physiotherapy or healthcare more broadly, it’s easily reduced by many to something surface level, like a quick training session, a tokenistic Acknowledgement of Country, a social media post or knowing the right words to say. 

In the lead-up to the election, our Policy and Government Relations team has been working tirelessly to build awareness and support across political parties, independents and key departments—including Health and Aged Care, Veterans’ Affairs and Social Services—to highlight the value of physiotherapy. 

A key outcome of our advocacy efforts has been an increase in requests from policymakers seeking the APA’s advice. 

This shift reflects growing recognition of the pressures on the healthcare system and physiotherapy’s potential to address these challenges. 

In these first few months of 2025, amid the federal election, the conversation around genuine primary healthcare reform in Australia has gained critical momentum. 

One of the most significant and necessary shifts that the APA continues to advocate for is the broad implementation of multidisciplinary teams in primary care. 

Within my first three months as president of the APA, I have already felt the effects of the APA’s ongoing advocacy efforts in my meetings with associates at the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners and government ministers from across the political spectrum. 

Influential stakeholders within the Australian healthcare system are recognising the growing body of evidence communicating the value of innovative physiotherapy in improving patient pathways. 

1 Scaphoid fracture location determines management

The scaphoid is the cornerstone of the wrist, providing the key link between the proximal and distal rows of carpal bones.