The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) proudly announces the appointment of Scott Willis as its National President and current Vice President Jenny Aiken, as Chair of the Board effective 1 January 2021, for a period of two years. 

Scott Willis, a proud Palawa man from North-West Tasmania, is also the first Indigenous Australian to be elected as National President of a health peak body in Australia. The APA recognises this as an important step in our journey towards Reconciliation.

The extension of Stage 4 restrictions in Melbourne which only allow allied health treatment for patients meeting extremely narrow criteria is causing distress and potential long term harm to patients. The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) is calling on the Victorian government to ease these restrictions and enable physios to treat patients who need their care. 

The COVID-19 Catch-22 endured by older Australians must be urgently addressed, the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) has told the Aged Care Royal Commission’s Impact of COVID-19 inquiry today.

While well meaning, COVID-19 social isolation, visitation restrictions and infection control measures have had the detrimental effect of accelerating physical, mental and cognitive decline in many cases, the APA told the Royal Commission inquiry.

The Australian Government’s temporary introduction of telehealth services via Medicare during COVID-19 must be made permanent to give all Australians access to safe and high quality healthcare.

APA National President Phil Calvert says funding of telehealth has demonstrated video consultations are safe, appropriate and cost effective for a vast number of clinical presentations.

Yesterday’s announcement by the Federal Government about a comprehensive $2.4 billion health package to protect all Australians from the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) is a welcome and timely response. It provides much needed Medicare bulk billing services for telehealth consultations with GPs and specialists, nurses and mental health allied health workers.

However primary care treatment by physiotherapists for at-risk groups should also be included.

A rigorous and highly competitive national recruitment process was undertaken over several months during which Ms Nikolic’s experience, knowledge and passion stood out strongly. 

Australian Physiotherapy Australia’s National President Phil Calvert said the shocking accounts of harm and neglect detailed in report must spur immediate action.

“The aged care system has been left to its own device for too long,” Phil said.  “The Royal Commission’s confronting report sends a clear message – things must change now.”

The APA is calling for women’s health physiotherapists to be included in the care teams for all pregnant women in Australia to reduce the risk of complications and to improve outcomes for women and their babies.

It follows the recent release of new guidelines in the UK recommending the addition of physiotherapists to care teams there, particularly for women expecting twins or triplets.

With the official start of the school year at the end of the month, parents will no doubt be thinking about book lists, uniform requirements and the dreaded lunch box dilemma—healthy items their kids will actually eat! But two often overlooked areas of the back to school discussion are arguably two of the most important—what type and how they use their backpack, and what they wear on their feet.