The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) is calling on parents to speak up about their ‘not-so-positive’ birth experiences during this year’s Birth Trauma Awareness Week.

Birth is not always the joyful and empowering experience seen in the media, and the ongoing impact of a traumatic birth can be devastating for some parents.

APA Women’s, Men’s and Pelvic Health Group National Chair Jason Crow says that it’s a two-fold trauma for many who have a negative experience with birth.

Inconsistent lockdown restrictions on essential health services applied by the Western Australian (WA) Government shows an urgent need for a national approach to ensure all Australians have access to vital health services during the ongoing pandemic.

Following their previous lockdown, the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) wrote to the WA Government alerting them to the impact on patients’ health care during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The APA called on the WA Government to allow face to face physiotherapy care for patients with critical need.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) is calling on Australian women and men living with incontinence to seek out physiotherapy as part of their treatment, ahead of World Continence Week.

Incontinence affects 1 in 4 Australians. The APA’s latest campaign #WithYourPhysio targets the more than 11 million Australians living with chronic health conditions, highlighting the importance of adding physiotherapy to their recovery team of professionals to ensure the condition is managed appropriately.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) Position Statement on Aged Care, launched today, calls on the Federal Government to introduce an additional layer of funding for preventative and rehabilitation care to complement the new residential aged care funding model.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) has released a new podcast series which explores the impacts of colonisation through the stories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander physiotherapists.

The Deadly Physios podcast series interviews Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander physiotherapists who are each on their own path of self-discovery, working towards making a difference in healthcare, and in particular, the physiotherapy profession.

With a $2.3 billion boost to mental health services, the Federal Budget has delivered substantial increased funding for mental health, however, integrated and collaborative models of care that include physiotherapists in multidisciplinary care teams is needed to achieve better mental health outcomes.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) particularly welcomes:

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) welcomes the $123 million investment in rural health workforce and training under the Stronger Rural Health Strategy. This investment delivers a strong package for the rural health workforce and health services to tackle health disparities and strengthen access for rural and remote communities.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) welcomes the Government’s Budget measures, including increased investment in Residential Aged Care, allied health Rural Generalist Pathways, access to primary care and mental health. This funding will deliver substantial improvements.

However, systemic reform that supports and expands the role of physiotherapy in multidisciplinary practice is key to achieving better health outcomes for all Australians. 

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) today launched their ‘With Your Physio’ campaign, targeting the more than 11 million Australians who live with one or more chronic health conditions to seek out physiotherapy as part of their journey.

The Federal Budget will be a litmus test of the Australian Government’s commitment to quality aged care and increased access to critical services such as physiotherapy.

The Government must take this once-in-a-generation opportunity to address the failures of the aged care system by accepting key recommendations of the Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety.