The Australian Physiotherapy Association (APA) is warning of an imminent exodus of physiotherapists from the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS), driven by unsustainable pricing and a lack of necessary government reform. A recent APA member survey showed 31 per cent of physiotherapists are considering ceasing to provide therapy support to NDIS participants, reducing vital access to critical care for many of Australia’s most vulnerable people.

The APA’s survey highlights five years of frozen NDIS price limits coupled with inflationary pressure is severely impacting the viability of physiotherapy in the NDIS.  

APA National President Scott Willis said the outcome of the Annual NDIS Pricing Review 2023-24 was extremely concerning, as it would lead to reduced access to the critical supports NDIS participants need.

‘The NDIS was designed to support our most vulnerable, but without fair and sustainable pricing, we risk losing the highly skilled clinicians needed to deliver this care and the participants will be the ones who suffer the most,’ said Mr Willis.

‘Many NDIS participants present with complex care needs that require specialised equipment and premises. The compensation for these services remains stagnant, further compounding the challenges faced by physiotherapists within the scheme.’

‘The price limits have not as much as been indexed to match inflation in the past five years – essentially resulting in a pay decrease for physiotherapists, while the cost of providing support continues to rise.’

'We need an immediate increase aligned to Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Wage Price Index (WPI) to ensure that physiotherapy remains a viable and accessible service for NDIS participants.’

Key findings from the APA member survey include:

• 74 per cent of physiotherapists cited unfair pricing as a major concern.
• 55 per cent reported that inflationary pressures are exacerbating financial difficulties.
• 53 per cent indicated that better remuneration in other sectors is luring them away from the NDIS.
• 38 per cent are experiencing burnout due to the emotional and physical demands of the role.

‘Physiotherapists are integral to the NDIS, often serving as the linchpin in a participant’s multi-disciplinary team. We are seeing physiotherapists providing NDIS support are at ‘breaking point’ and cannot financially continue, causing almost a third of them to consider ceasing the NDIS support they provide,’ Mr Willis said. 

‘The administrative burden associated with NDIS is significantly higher than that for private clients, further straining the workforce. Without urgent reform, we will see a decline in the access to and quality of care that NDIS participants receive.’

The APA's survey adds to growing evidence of a catastrophic market failure being highlighted by the sector wide ‘Secure the Future for a Better NDIS’ campaign, and comes following the annual pricing review (APR) in June, which acknowledged the cost-of-living impact on providers by providing an assessment and a subsequent CPI adjustment to our fellow allied health practitioners in psychology. The previous year’s price guide update also included indexation of price limits for nursing supports in line with the WPI and CPI.

‘Physiotherapy is not just a healthcare service; it is an investment in participant independence and a strategy to reduce lifelong scheme costs. Physiotherapists provide high quality, evidence-based care centered on the patient. We need pricing that reflects the current market we are operating in and cannot afford to let this critical support system collapse due to inadequate pricing structures,’ Mr Willis said.

The APA is calling on policymakers to take immediate action to prevent a workforce crisis that could severely impact the delivery of essential services to NDIS participants.