Physiotherapy Council of NSW Newsletter

October 2024

Message from the President

Welcome to our 2024 end of year newsletter.

This is my first newsletter post since being appointed President of the Physiotherapy Council of NSW. I am looking forward to the next three years and continuing the good work that we have been involved with over my previous terms. I congratulate Dr Susan Coulson on her appointment as Deputy President for the coming term.

I would like to acknowledge and thank Elizabeth Ward who served nine years on the Council, with four years of juggling the extra responsibilities as President. Liz did an outstanding job and will be missed. I would also like to acknowledge the work of Athena Harris Ingall and Warren Stretton who have finished their terms as community members with the Council. Athena and Warren have been vital members of the team over the last few years, and we wish them all the best for the future.

We welcome our new practitioner member Kerry West and our two new community members Annette Cairnduff and Luke Williamson.

The Council has several exciting projects planned to help physiotherapists navigate our ever-changing healthcare environment and fulfill their responsibilities under the Ahpra shared code of conduct. As these are completed, they will appear under the resources tab on the website. We currently have podcasts and video-based scenarios on some common themes in complaints that the council receives. Highlighted below is one scenario about clinical note taking and the importance of clinical records. We invite you to take the time to review your own practice in this area and be proactive about making improvements.

As we are moving towards the end of the year, and although it may be a bit early, I would like to wish everyone a safe and happy Christmas and New Year.

Regards

Toni Andary

President, Physiotherapy Council of NSW

APA Conference

Council members Toni Andary, David Cross and Susan Coulson have written a presentation for the APA Focus24 conference in Perth.

Toni will be presenting on Friday 1 November under the Leadership and Management stream. The presentation is titled, Managing the new generation: insights from the tip of an iceberg, and will go through some of the key themes that have arisen from complaints regarding recently graduated physiotherapists in NSW. The talk will cover suggestions on how to help our more inexperienced colleagues develop their professional practice skills.

Dr Susan Coulson will also be representing the Council at the conference.

If you are attending, come and say hello!

Registration Renewal - Fees

The annual registration fees for physiotherapy practitioners for 2024/25 have been published by the Physiotherapy Board of Australia (the Board). The fees for NSW physiotherapy practitioners in NSW for 2024/25 will be $165. There are two components to the annual fee, with the first one (registration and accreditation) set by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) and the second (the complaints fee) set by the Physiotherapy Council of NSW. 

Please see the Physiotherapy Council of NSW website here.

As a reminder, all physiotherapists must have Professional indemnity insurance. 

Meet our Council Members

Wendy Annable has been a practitioner member of the Physiotherapy Council since July 2023 and sits on one of the Council’s complaints and notifications committees.  

Physiotherapy Council of NSW posed the following questions to Wendy:

Can you tell us a little about your day job?

I have held the position of National Professional Practice Lead in the Bachelor of Physiotherapy program at Australian Catholic University since the course started in 2011.
Students partake in clinical placements in their final year of the course, and I oversee the clinical education program in the Brisbane, Ballarat, and North Sydney Campuses. I am also the clinical coordinator for NSW placements.

What is it about your day job that you love the most?

I deal with our placement providers as well as look after our students. My personal aim is to ensure I support the educators and our students at all times. I enjoy working with the educators and staff involved with our students, we form close and enduring relationships, and it is such a pleasure to go out and meet them when I can. It is important that students enjoy their placement experiences so they can develop and learn as best as possible. I enjoy being a part of that journey with them. 

What has been the strongest influences in your career?

The strongest feature in my career has been working within extremely good teams. I enjoy connecting with the people I work with. I have learnt and grown from so many people over the years and feel I have contributed in return. Feeling supported and valued means I enjoy my work, and it influences me to be generous and diligent with my efforts.

What attracted you to working in the regulatory area?

I like structure and understanding our scope of practice. It’s all about ensuring our practice is safe, effective and compliant. I wanted to be in a role that is responsible and contributing to public safety and welfare. I wanted to work with a diverse group of practitioners and community members that I wouldn’t normally meet. Lastly, I think it provides me with the understanding and know how to educate our students and even educators on adherence to important standards.

What preconceived ideas did you have about Council before you joined, versus what you know now?

I was appointed to Council just over a year ago and realise I had a rather shallow understanding of what responsibilities a Council member has. I now understand that complaints are managed with education and counselling with a non-punitive approach. I now appreciate how steadfast we are in protecting the public and how this is the main consideration. I now understand the processes and relationships we have with the Healthcare Complaints Commission (HCCC) and the Physiotherapy Board of Australia.

You have a heavy load between your day job & Council responsibilities. How do you remain resilient?

Being organised and efficient with a clear schedule. Connecting with supportive colleagues who understand the demands of both roles. Having a shared purpose provides camaraderie and encouragement. Being able to “time out” doing things with my family and friends provides balance and thankfulness.

Physiotherapy Council videos

Effective record keeping is essential for delivering high-quality, safe, and efficient healthcare.

Watch the scenario below.

What do you think the best way to deal with this situation is?

Recommended Reading:

Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency - Managing health records (ahpra.gov.au)

APA guide to clinical note taking, available for APA members

Please feel free to share this with your colleagues – it can make a valuable In-service topic!

Do you need further details?                          

The Council website offers educational resources to support practitioners with abiding by the professional Code of Conduct.

For more information on how to meet your professional responsibilities under the National Law or to review the Code of conduct for registered practitioners, visit the Board's website.

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You can send us an email if you have a particular comment or suggestion about this edition of the newsletter or you can have your say via our anonymous survey which takes two minutes to complete and is open all year round.