New approval process for allied health practitioners
The workers compensation guidelines for the approval of treating allied health practitioners have been updated, following a review. The guidelines apply to accredited exercise physiologists, chiropractors, counsellors, osteopaths, physiotherapists and psychologists.
The updated guidelines strengthen the requirements for approved allied health practitioners by adding extra conditions of approval and introducing a requirement for practitioners to renew their approval every three years. These changes will assist SIRA to improve compliance and better regulate those outlier practitioners who do not do the right thing.
The guidelines will take effect 16 July 2021. Practitioners with current SIRA approval are not required to complete the online training program for reapproval at this stage and will have 12 months to obtain approval under the new guidelines. You can apply for approval as a SIRA-approved allied health practitioner in the workers compensation scheme application form. Practitioners that no longer wish to be approved can complete the request to withdraw as a SIRA approved allied health practitioner form to let us know. For more information about providing services in the workers compensation scheme refer to the guidelines.
The following FAQs are provided to assist you to understand the changes.
Why are we making these changes?
The updated guidelines strengthen the requirements for approved allied health practitioners by adding extra conditions of approval and introducing a requirement for practitioners to renew their approval every three years.
These changes will assist SIRA to improve compliance and better regulate those outlier practitioners who do not do the right thing
What are the changes?
The new guidelines will replace the existing approval guidelines for allied health practitioners released in 2016, which were the subject of a review last year.
The updated guidelines feature the following:
- New conditions of approval that provide clear expectations and standards that practitioners must continue to meet to maintain SIRA approval. Practitioners will also be asked to:
- deliver services in accordance with the Clinical Framework for Delivery of Health Services and the principles of the health benefits of good work
- respond to/participate in communication with SIRA
- provide any information requested by SIRA for the purpose of performance management and quality assurance
- meet conditions about avoiding, declaring and mitigating conflicts of interest
- not have a criminal conviction (or pending conviction) within the last 10 years or any pending or upheld complaints
- notify SIRA of any changes to registration, accreditation or membership status and potential breaches of conditions of approval within 7 days.
- The timeframe for reviewing SIRA decisions to suspend, revoke or decline approval has been changed from 21 to 28 calendar days, consistent with processes for other SIRA-approved practitioners
- If a practitioner’s approval is suspended or revoked, SIRA can determine a specified period of time before they can re-apply for approval. SIRA must provide a reason for this decision
- Practitioners will now be approved for a specified period up to a maximum of three years. Practitioners will need to re-apply for approval before their approval expires.
All currently SIRA approved allied health practitioners will need to re-apply for approval under the new guidelines. They have 12 months from the date of commencement of the new guidelines to obtain a new approval.
Who do the guidelines affect?
The following allied health practitioners need SIRA approval to operate in the workers compensation scheme and are affected by the new guidelines:
- Accredited exercise physiologists
- Chiropractors
- Counsellors
- Osteopaths
- Physiotherapists
- Psychologists
Treating allied health practitioners not included in the list above do not require SIRA approval to provide services in the workers compensation scheme.
What is the impact on allied health practitioners?
Allied health practitioners newly applying for approval after the commencement date will be assessed for approval under the new guidelines.
All current SIRA approved allied health practitioners will need to re-apply for approval under the new guidelines and have 12 months to be re-approved, or they will no longer be able to provide treatment or services in the workers compensation scheme.
To remain an approved practitioner in the workers compensation scheme, currently approved allied health practitioners will need to complete the workers compensation treating allied health practitioner approval application form before 25 June 2022.
Current SIRA approved allied health practitioners that re-apply for approval under the new guidelines and hold more than one registration/accreditation will need to complete an extra section of the application form in order to seek approval for both registrations/accreditation (unless they seek SIRA approval as an allied health practitioner for one discipline only). They will be provided with a SIRA number for each discipline made in the application.
Practitioners that no longer wish to be approved can complete the request to withdraw as a SIRA approved allied health practitioner to let us know.
Note: SIRA will take up to 21 days to process the application and make a decision regarding approval. Practitioners will need to submit applications for approval by 25 June 2022 to meet this deadline.
Should the volume of applicant responses result in delays to SIRA processing applications, SIRA will communicate with applicants to advise them of the delay and expected response time.
The approval period is three years, after which practitioners will need to reapply for approval. Status as an approved practitioner may be revoked or suspended at any stage during this time, if a practitioner fails to comply with legislation or the Conditions of Approval.
If practitioners have not applied and been re-approved under the new guidelines by 16 July 2022, they will not be able to provide treatment or services in the workers compensation scheme.
What is the impact on insurers?
Insurers should be aware of the conditions of approval [link to conditions of approval] for SIRA approved allied health practitioners and should notify SIRA if they become aware of an approved allied health practitioner not adhering to the conditions.
Insurers should be aware that accredited exercise physiologists, chiropractors, counsellors, osteopaths, physiotherapists, and psychologists need to be approved by SIRA to operate in the workers compensation scheme and must not approve treatment by an unapproved practitioner providing these services, unless they are delivering services to an exempt worker.
SIRA would appreciate support from insurers to communicate to allied health practitioners the need to re-apply for approval as a SIRA approved allied health practitioner. SIRA will provide insurers with a script to use with practitioners when discussing treatment to ensure all practitioners are aware of the transition and how to re-apply for approval.
What is the impact on workers?
Changes to the guidelines will help SIRA ensure that allied health practitioners working in the workers compensation scheme have demonstrated they understand the specific requirements involved and can provide quality services.
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