The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) supports calls by the Australian Medical Association (AMA) and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) for all levels of Government to develop a national plan addressing the growing and increasingly critical backlog of elective surgeries.

The AMA and RACS highlighted new Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) data, showing Australians are now waiting even longer for essential surgery.

Physiotherapists are ready, willing and able to help relieve pressure on general practice by reducing the burden of care created by conditions readily treated by physiotherapy.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) is calling on the Federal Government to clarify how critical physiotherapy care for older Australians will be funded, to allay uncertainty about the health of older Australians being put at risk and prevent job losses across the aged care sector.

APA National President Scott Willis said despite the Government saying that older people will receive physiotherapy under its new residential aged care funding, it hasn’t addressed the issue and has repeatedly failed to explain both how and how much.

The State Government’s short sighted and negligent restrictions on access to physiotherapy care in Victoria continues to impact thousands of people across the state, as face to face physiotherapy care remains only available for ‘essential’ purposes.

While the Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) fully supports government measures to control COVID-19, including warranted lockdown restrictions, the APA is calling for a nationally consistent approach to accessing physiotherapy care that balances health needs with restriction of community movement.

The Australian Physiotherapy Association’s (APA) ‘With Your Physio’ campaign is designed to inform the more than 11 million Australians who live with chronic health conditions on a daily basis, the important role physiotherapy can play in improving and managing their health journey.

With the media focus of Tokyo 2020 on Australia’s haul of 46 medals and countless other amazing performances, it is important to reflect on the complete Olympic journey and the vital role support teams played in keeping athletes healthy, focused and motivated throughout their four year plus preparation.

While it is the athlete who delivers in the moment, it is the team effort of doctors, physiotherapists, psychologists, dietitians, massage therapists, and physiologists providing the best possible health care that ensures the athletes get to the starting line.

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) 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.