Workers compensation
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.
Psychologists, counsellors and social workers providing relevant services in the workers compensation scheme should refer to Part 8 to see which parts of the Guidelines apply to them.
This webpage has been updated to include content from the Guidelines and the associated legislation.
In brief
Psychologists, counsellors and social workers are trained to treat workers so they can achieve a safe and durable recovery at or return to work.
To deliver psychological and counselling treatment services to workers in the NSW workers compensation scheme you must be a psychologist, counsellor or social worker and you must be approved (issued a provider number) by us. The workers compensation guidelines for the approval of treating allied health practitioners provide information on the approval process and outline the conditions of approval practitioners must meet and maintain.
If you're a psychologist you must be registered with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA).
If you’re a counsellor, to provide services in the NSW workers compensation scheme you must:
- be a full clinical member of the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA), or
- a level three or four member of the Australian Counselling Association (ACA)
If you're a social worker, to provide services in the NSW workers compensation system you must be a mental health social worker accredited with the Australian Association of Social Workers.
A workers compensation guide for allied health practitioners provides essential information regarding the delivery of treatment services in the NSW workers compensation scheme.
The fees and practice requirements provides additional information on how the claims process works, and what type of payments and expenses may be available.
Please read this information on the Allied Health Recovery Request (AHRR) before you use this form for the first time. All SIRA approved psychologists, counsellors and social workers must submit an AHRR when seeking pre-approval for treatment services.
You might need to know about the certificate of capacity/certificate of fitness for treating physiotherapist or psychologist.
Refer to the Guidelines for the Provision of Relevant Services (Health and Related Services) for the specific provisions that psychologists, counsellors, and social workers, must comply with.
Did you know
Forms you might need
- 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
- Application for SIRA workers compensation approval (interactive version)
- Certificate of capacity/certificate of fitness for treating physiotherapist or psychologist
Publications you might need
- Guidelines for the Provision of Relevant Services (Health and Related Services)
- Information on the Allied Health Recovery Request
- Guideline for approval of treating allied health practitioners
- Workers compensation guidelines
- Workers compensation guide for allied health practitioners
Fees and invoicing
Get treatment approval first
If the insurer denies liability, or declines a treatment request because it does not meet 'reasonably necessary' criteria, the insurer is not responsible for payment of accounts.
So before treating your patient please confirm they have submitted a workers compensation claim, and that you have approval from the insurer to start treatment.
The fees orders provide a maximum fee for services provided to a worker. You can not exceed the maximum fees stated in the Fees Order.
All fees you can charge are listed in the relevant fees order 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
- service cost for each SIRA payment classification code
- date of service
- date of invoice (must be on the day of or after last date of service listed on the invoice).
Invoices should be submitted within 30 calendar days of the service being provided.
Send your invoices to the worker’s insurer.
Do I need a SIRA practitioner number?
Yes. If you're a psychologist, counsellor or social worker you must have a SIRA provider number to provide treatment services to workers in the NSW workers compensation scheme.
The SIRA provider number is specific to the allied health practitioner and must be provided on all tax invoices and requests to the insurer. Services must not be delivered by any other person using the allied health practitioner's SIRA practitioner number.
You are not required to obtain a new provider number for each different location where you deliver services or if you change your employment. However, you must notify SIRA of any change in your contact details within 14 days by email to [email protected]
How do I get a SIRA provider number?
Review the guideline for approval of treating allied health practitioners and then complete the application form.
If you meet the appropriate qualifications and requirements, you must satisfactorily complete the three-part allied health practitioner online training course. This is to ensure all practitioners working within the NSW workers compensation scheme are:
- appropriately skilled to help workers achieve a safe and durable recovery at/return to work, and
- aware of requirements for the delivery of services in the scheme.
The online training program is administered by the Personal Injury Education Foundation (PIEF). Access the training via the SIRA AHP NSW Learning Portal.
Once you have successfully completed the online training, you download and complete the application form and submit with all relevant documents to [email protected]
Please note: you must obtain confirmation from us that your SIRA provider number is active before delivering treatment services.
Further information
Independent consultants (peer reviews)
Independent consultants listed on SIRA's website provide independent peer review of, and advice, to allied health practitioners regarding injury management.
If you would like the assistance of an independent consultant visit independent consultants.
Where required, you must participate in a review by an independent consultant as outlined in the guideline for approval of treating allied health practitioners.
Provider/assessor search
You can find a workers compensation provider/assessor here.