Independent consultants
Independent consultants provide independent peer review of allied health practitioner (physical or psychological) treatment in the NSW workers compensation system.
Guidelines for the provision of relevant services have been published
SIRA has published the Guidelines for the Provision of Relevant Services (Health and Related Services), which apply to relevant service providers providing services in the NSW workers compensation and CTP (for accidents on or after 1 December 2017) schemes.
The following sections of the guidelines apply to independent consultants providing relevant services in the workers compensation scheme:
- Part 2: Requirements for telehealth services
- Part 5: Billing requirements for the provision of relevant services under the workers compensation legislation (except 5.1 (d))
- Part 6: Invoicing requirements for relevant services under the workers compensation legislation (excluding pharmaceutical services)
This webpage has been updated to include content from the Guidelines and the associated legislation.
In brief
An independent consultant is an allied health practitioner approved by SIRA to provide an independent peer review of allied health practitioner treatment in the NSW workers compensation system.
All independent consultants must be experienced in the assessment, treatment and management of work related injuries and approved by SIRA. They are also required to abide by our conditions of approval.
As an independent consultant, you may be called upon to provide an independent opinion and/or expert advice regarding:
- the treatment duration, frequency and/or whether treatment is reasonably necessary
- treatment that has continued for an extended period without any improvement in functional outcomes, particularly in relation to the worker’s capacity
- the treatment approach most likely to achieve positive work outcomes for the worker
- barriers to recovery at work and/or psychosocial risk factors for delayed recovery and work loss.
You may receive a referral for peer review at the request of:
- the insurer
- the allied health practitioner
- another member of the support team.
Regardless of who requests your involvement, you will be engaged by the insurer via the independent consultant referral form.
Refer to the Guidelines for the Provision of Relevant Services (Health and Related Services) for the code of conduct and specific provisions that allied health providers, including independent consultants, must comply with.
Reviewing physical treatment
An independent consultant reviewing physical treatment must be a registered:
- physiotherapist
- chiropractor
- osteopath.
Reviewing psychological treatment
An independent consultant reviewing psychological treatment must be a registered psychologist.
Forms you might need
- Independent consultant referral form
- Allied health recovery request (interactive version) is used to request treatment services
- Allied health recovery request (word version) if your computer can't open up the interactive version
Publications you might need
- Guidelines for the Provision of Relevant Services (Health and Related Services)
- Workers compensation guide for allied health practitioners
- Clinical framework for the delivery of health services
- SIRA workers compensation guideline for approval of treating allied health practitioners
- Workers compensation guidelines
Fees and invoicing
Independent consultants have the cost of their services paid by the insurer (as a claims cost). Fees are outlined below:
Current health-related fees
These are the and rates orders.
- Ambulance service fees order (effective 7 August 2023)
- Public hospital rates order (effective 7 August 2023)
- Surgeon and Orthopaedic Surgeon Fees Order (effective 1 February 2024)
- SIRA telehealth item numbers for medical practitioners (effective 1 February 2024)
- Psychology and counselling fees & practice requirements (effective 1 February 2024)
- Private Hospital Maximum Rates Order (effective 1 February 2024)
- Physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathy fees & practice requirements (effective 1 February 2024)
- Medical Practitioner Fees Order (effective 1 February 2024)
- Medical Examinations and Reports Fees Order (effective 1 February 2024)
- Massage Therapy Fees Order (effective 1 March 2024)
- Injury Management Consultant Fees Order (effective 1 February 2024)
- Independent Consultant Fees Order (effective 1 February 2024)
- Hearing Aid fees & practice requirements (effective 1 February 2024)
- General practitioner rates (effective 1 Feb 2024)
- Accredited exercise physiology fees & practice requirements (effective 1 February 2024)
Historical health-related fees
These are the historical health related fees and rates orders.
Fees and rates orders 2023
- General practitioner rates effective 1 February 2023
- Telehealth item numbers for medical practitioners effective 1 February 2023
- General practitioner rates effective 9 March 2023
- Telehealth item numbers for medical practitioners effective 9 March 2023
- General practitioner rates effective 6 July 2023
- Telehealth item numbers for medical practitioners effective 6 July 2023
- Accredited exercise physiology fees and practice requirements (effective 1 February 2023)
- General practitioner rates (effective 1 November 2023)
- Hearing aid fees and practice requirements (effective 1 February 2023)
- Independent consultant fees order (effective 1 February 2023)
- Injury management consultant fees order (effective 1 February 2023)
- Massage therapy fees order (effective 1 February 2023)
- Medical examinations and reports fees order (effective 1 February 2023)
- Medical practitioners fees order (effective 1 February 2023)
- Physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathy fees and practice requirements (effective 1 February 2023)
- Psychology and counselling fees and practice requirements (effective 1 February 2023)
- Private hospital maximum rates order (effective 7 November 2022)
- Surgeon and orthopaedic surgeon fees order (effective 1 February 2023)
- Telehealth item numbers for medical practitioners (effective 1 November 2023)
Fees and rates orders 2022
- Accredited exercise physiology and practice requirements (effective 1 August 2022)
- General practitioner rates (effective 1 July 2022)
- General practitioner rates (effective 1 November 2022)
- Hearing aid fees and practice requirements (effective 1 January 2022)
- Independent consultant fees order (effective 1 January 2022)
- Injury management consultant fees order (effective 1 January 2022)
- Massage therapy fees order (effective 1 January 2022)
- Medical examinations and reports fees order (effective 1 January 2022)
- Medical practitioners fees order (effective 1 July 2022)
- Physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathy fees and practice requirements (effective 1 January 2022)
- Physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathy fees and practice requirements (effective 1 August 2022)
- Psychology and counselling fees and practice requirements (effective 1 January 2022)
- Surgeon and orthopaedic surgeon fees order (effective 1 July 2022)
- Telehealth item numbers for medical practitioners (effective 1 July 2022)
- Telehealth item numbers for medical practitioners (effective 1 November 2022)
- Public hospital rates order (effective 22 July 2022)
- Ambulance service fees order (effective 22 July 2022)
Fees and rates orders 2021
- Ambulance service fees order (effective 6 August 2021)
- General practitioner rates (effective 1 December 2021)
- General practitioner rates (effective 1 January 2021)
- Hearing Aid fees and practice requirements (effective 1 January 2021)
- Independent Consultant fees order (effective 1 March 2021)
- Injury Management Consultant fees order (effective 1 March 2021)
- Massage Therapy fees order (effective 1 January 2021)
- Medical Examinations and Reports fees order (effective 1 March 2021)
- Medical Practitioners fees order (effective 1 December 2021)
- Medical Practitioners fees order (effective 1 January 2021)
- Orthopaedic Surgeon fees order (effective 1 December 2021)
- Orthopaedic Surgeon fees order (effective 1 January 2021)
- Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy fees and practice requirements (effective 1 January 2022)
- Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy fees and practice requirements (effective 1 January 2021)
- Psychology and Counselling fees and practice requirements (effective 1 January 2021)
- Public hospital rates order (effective 6 August 2021)
- Surgeon fees order (effective 1 December 2021)
- Surgeon fees order (effective 1 January 2021)
- Telehealth item numbers for medical practitioners (effective 1 December 2021)
- Telehealth item numbers for medical practitioners (effective 1 January 2021)
Fees and rates orders 2020
- Accredited Exercise Physiology
- Accredited Exercise Physiology No 2
- Accredited Exercise Physiology fees order No 3 (effective 17 April 2020)
- Ambulance service fees order (effective 11 September 2020)
- General Practitioners rates (effective 17 April 2020)
- Hearing Aid fees order (effective 1 January 2020)
- Hearing Aid fees order No 2 (effective 17 April 2020)
- Independent Consultant fees order
- Independent Consultant fees order No 2
- Independent Consultant fees order No 3 (effective 17 April 2020)
- Injury Management Consultant fees order
- Injury Management Consultant fees order No 2 (effective 17 April 2020)
- Massage Therapy fees order
- Medical Examinations and Reports fees order
- Medical Examinations and Reports fees order No 2 (effective 17 April 2020)
- Medical Practitioners fees order
- Medical Practitioners fees order No 2
- Medical Practitioners fees order No 3 (effective 17 April 2020)
- Orthopaedic Surgeon fees order
- Orthopaedic Surgeon fees order No 2 (effective 17 April 2020)
- Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy
- Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy No 2
- Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy No 3 (effective 17 April 2020)
- Psychology and Counselling fees order
- Psychology and Counselling fees order No 2
- Psychology and Counselling fees order No 3 (effective 17 April 2020)
- Private Hospital Maximum rates order (effective 17 March 2020)
- Public Hospital fees schedule (effective 1 July 2020)
- Public Hospital rates order (effective 1 July 2020)
- Surgeon fees order
- Surgeon fees order No 2 (effective 17 April 2020)
Fees and rates orders 2019
- Accredited Exercise Physiology
- General practitioners rates
- Hearing Aid fees order
- Independent Consultant
- Injury Management Consultant
- Massage Therapy fees order
- Medical Examinations and Reports
- Medical Examinations and Reports No 2
- Medical Practitioners fees order
- Orthopaedic Surgeon fees order
- Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy
- Private Hospital fee schedule
- Private Hospital rates order
- Psychology and Counselling
- Public Hospital fee schedule
- Public Hospital rates order
- Surgeon fees order
Fees and rates orders 2018
- Ambulance fees schedule
- Ambulance services fee order
- Accredited exercise physiology
- General practitioner rates
- Hearing aid fees order
- Independent consultants
- Injury management consultants
- Massage Therapy fees order
- Medical examinations and reports
- Medical practitioner fees order
- Orthopaedic Surgeon fees order
- Physiotherapy, Chiropractic and Osteopathy fees order
- Psychology and counselling
- Private Hospital fees schedule
- Private Hospital rates order
- Public Hospital fees schedule
- Public hospital rates order
- Surgeon fees order
Fees and rates orders 2017
- Ambulance services fees order
- Ambulance services fees order no2
- Accredited exercise physiology
- General practitioner rates
- Hearing aid fees order
- Independent consultants
- Injury management consultants
- Massage Therapy fees order
- Medical examinations and reports
- Medical practitioner fees order
- Orthopaedic Surgeon fees order
- Physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathy fees order
- Private Hospital rates order fees order
- Psychology and counselling
- Public Hospital rates order
- Public Hospital rates order no2
- Surgeon fees order
When invoicing, we have a payment system that requires itemised invoices. This system enables consistent data collection from service providers and insurers and ensures accurate payments.
What your invoices will need to include
SIRA requires medical practitioners and other service providers to provide itemised invoices before payment can be made by the insurer.
Invoices for relevant services rendered must include:
- the injured worker’s first and last name, and claim number
- payee name, address, telephone number and email address
- payee Australian Business Number (ABN)
- name of the relevant service provider who delivered the relevant service
- in the case of allied health services, the following provider numbers:
- the provider’s SIRA approval number (where applicable), and
- the provider’s AHPRA number/professional association accreditation/membership number
- in the case of allied health services provided interstate by a service provider who doesn’t have a SIRA approval number, the service provider number INT0000 must be included on the invoice instead
- in the case of allied health services provided to exempt workers, by a service provider who doesn’t have a SIRA approval number, the service provider number EXT0000 must be included on the invoice instead.
- relevant SIRA payment classification code or Australian Medical Association (AMA) Fees List item number (where applicable)
- service cost for each SIRA payment classification code or AMA Fees List item number and service duration (if applicable)
- date of service
- date of invoice (must be on the day of or after last date of service listed on the invoice).
Invoices must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the service being provided.
Send your invoices to the worker’s insurer.
Invoices should be submitted within 30 calendar days of the service being provided.
Send your invoices to the worker’s insurer.
Find an independent consultant
Chiropractic independent consultants
- Dr Henry Pollard
84 Kingsway
CRONULLA NSW 2230
Phone: (02) 9523 4600
Email: [email protected] - Mr Andrew Ware
22 Zelang Avenue
FIGTREE NSW 2525
Phone: (02) 4229 2855
Fax: (02) 4225 3663
Email: [email protected]
Also at:
Dymocks Building
Suite 12, Level 10
428 George Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 4229 2855
Fax: (02) 4225 3633
Email: [email protected]
Call us on 13 10 50 for more information about chiropractic independent consultants.
Osteopathy independent consultants
1. Sydney region
- Louise Adam
Hunter Health
803/5 Hunter Street,
Sydney NSW 2000
Postal address:
PO Box 115
Jamberoo NSW 2533
Phone: 0413 832 223
Email: [email protected] - Peter Baziotis
Practice of Dr Mark Vic
77 Bondi Road
Bondi NSW 2026
Phone: 0411 888 797
Email: [email protected]
2. South coast region
- Louise Adam
BaiMed Kiama
15/3 Brown Street
KIAMA NSW 2533
Postal address:
PO Box 115
Jamberoo NSW 2533
Phone: 0413 832 223
Email: [email protected]
3. Central coast region
- Peter Baziotis
482 Glebe Rd
Adamstown, NSW 2289
Phone: (02) 9317 3300
Fax: (02) 9317 3304
Email: [email protected]
(Tuesday afternoons, with two to three weeks notice)
Call us on 13 10 50 for more information about osteopathy independent consultants.
Physiotherapy independent consultants
1. Sydney region
- Dr Rob Boland PhD
Sydney Spine Institute
Suite 107, 3 Railway Parade
BURWOOD NSW 2134
Phone: 0438 467 043
Email: [email protected]
Correspondence to:
PO Box 3050
REGENTS PARK NSW 2143 - Denise Gardner
The Waters Road Practice
3-5 Waters Rd
NEUTRAL BAY NSW 2089
Phone: 0409 533 234
Correspondence to:
PO Box 4116
BALGOWLAH HEIGHTS 2093 - Andrew Leaver
Sydney Pain Management Centre
Suite 304, Level 3
55 Phillip Street
Parramatta NSW 2150
Phone: 02 9090 4981
Email: [email protected] - Gaetano Milazzo
Phone: 0409183825
Correspondence to:
PO Box 844
THIRROUL NSW 2515
Email: [email protected] - Michael Ryan
Sydney Specialist Physiotherapy Centre
Level 1, 50 York Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 9299 0700
Email: [email protected] - Gillian Summerbell
PO Box 1519
HORNSBY NSW 2077
Phone: (02) 9477 1113
Email: [email protected] - David Young
Suite 104, 8 Century Circuit
BELLA VISTA, NSW, 2153
Correspondence to:
PO Box 230 West Pennant Hills NSW 2125
Phone: 0407 230 477 or 0409 230 994
Email: [email protected]
2. Bathurst region
- John Roberts
45 Mitre Street
PO Box 1487
BATHURST NSW 2795
Phone: (02) 6332 1955
Fax: (02) 6332 1122
Email: [email protected]
3. Central Coast region
- Michael Ward
Coastal Physiotherapy Clinic
Gosford Private Hospital
Burrabil Ave
NORTH GOSFORD 2250
Phone: (02) 4324 8081
Email: [email protected] - John Silcock
Lisarow Physiotherapy
Lisarow Plaza, Corner of Pacific Highway and Parsons Road
LISAROW NSW 2250
Correspondence to:
264 Glenrock Parade
TASCOTT NSW 2250
Mobile: 0408 602 063
Email: [email protected]
4. Central West region
- Michael Ryan
Central West Specialists
Level 1, 131 – 135 Summer Street
ORANGE NSW 2800
Correspondence to:
Sydney Specialist Physiotherapy Centre
Level 1, 50 York Street
SYDNEY NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 9299 0700
Email: [email protected] - John Roberts
45 Mitre Street
PO Box 1487
BATHURST NSW 2795
Phone: (02) 6332 1955
Fax: (02) 6332 1122
Email: [email protected]
5. Hornsby region
- Gillian Summerbell
PO Box 1519
HORNSBY NSW 2077
Phone: (02) 9477 1113
Email: [email protected] - David Young
Suite 104, 8 Century Circuit
BELLA VISTA, NSW, 2153
Correspondence to:
PO Box 230 West Pennant Hills NSW 2125
Phone: 0407 230 477 or 0409 230 994
Email: [email protected]
6. Newcastle region
- David Elvish
Hunter Specialist Medical Centre
91 Chatham Street
BROADMEADOW NSW 2292
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (02) 4985 1808
Fax: (02) 4940 0322
Mobile: 0407 295 966
Also available at:
Coffs Habour
Port Macquarie
Taree - Lisa MacPherson
91 Chatham Street
BROADMEADOW NSW 2292
Phone: (02) 4985 1808
Fax: (02) 4940 0322
Email: [email protected]
Call SIRA on 13 10 50 for more information about physiotherapy independent consultants.
Psychology and counselling independent consultants
- Dr Terry Kohler
15 Henry Kendall Street
West Gosford NSW 2250
Phone: (02) 4307 8146
Fax: (02) 4324 9816
Email: [email protected] - Thomas O'Neill
Level 5, Edgecliff Centre
203–233 New South Head Road
Edgecliff NSW 2027
Phone: (02) 9362 0386
Fax: (02) 9327 4908
Email: [email protected] - Dr Margaret Tadros, PhD
Suite 43, The Italian Forum
23 Norton Street
Leichhardt NSW 2040
Phone: (02) 8321 9888
Fax: (02) 8321 8816
Email: [email protected]
Call us on 13 10 50 for more information about psychology and counselling.