November 2024 Newsletter

Family Violence

Interpersonal, domestic, and family violence is sadly a prevalent issue that affects many people across socioeconomic, cultural and community demographics. Chiropractors can play an important role in identifying and addressing domestic and family violence as they may treat patients who are hesitant or afraid to disclose incidents for fear of escalation, legal involvement or financial distress.

According to recent NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research figures, approximately 1 in 6 women and 1 in 16 men experience interpersonal violence, with over 1 in 5 women making their first disclosure of domestic violence to their health practitioner.

Understanding the legal obligations and responsibilities of health practitioners can ensure the delivery of effective patient care as well as preventing further harm.

Communication via automated computer systems - a blessing or a curse?

Automated computer systems in healthcare, while offering many benefits, can upset patients and disrupt care. These systems can lead to communication errors, alert fatigue and the misinterpretation of information, which may negatively impact patient outcomes.

Registration fees paid by Chiropractors in NSW

The Chiropractic Board of Australia has published the annual registration fees for all registered practitioners. NSW Chiropractors have a set annual registration fee of $424 for 2024/25. All fees are payable via the Board website from October.

The annual fee has two components. The registration and accreditation component are calculated by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) and the complaints component is calculated by the Chiropractic Council of NSW.

Ahpra collect the agreed registration fee as part of the annual registration renewal process and remit this amount to the HPCA on a monthly basis. You can read more about this on the Ministerial directives and communiques page.

This year the Chiropractic Council of NSW has determined a fee which is $41 less than for registrants in the rest of Australia, as there is capacity to manage the current level of regulatory activity in NSW. Fees are adjusted annually to meet the regulatory needs.

The annual registration fee is a cost recovery model and is not subsided by other health professions. To learn more please visit https://www.chiropracticboard.gov.au/

Annual renewal of registration

The registration renewal date for Chiropractors with general or non-practising registration is 30 November. You can check your registration details and expiry date on the national register of practitioners.

Please make sure your contact details provided to Ahpra, including email are current as reminders will be sent when registration is due. After receiving your reminder please visit the Ahpra login page.

Please see the fees section for the cost of annual renewal, including the late payment fee for renewal applications received during December.

If you don’t renew your registration by 31 December (end of the one-month late period), your registration will lapse in accordance with the National Law and your name will be removed from the national register.

If you wish to keep practising and don’t renew registration by 31 December, you’ll need to submit a fast track application for registration. Fast track application forms are available on the Board website or by phoning the Customer Service Team on 1300 419 495 during January. Please note, if submitting a fast track application, you cannot practise until your application is processed and your registration details are updated on the national register.