October 2024

Issue 25 – October 2024

From the Chair
Priority news
- 3G network closure and emergency devices – talk to consumers about this change
Board news
Regulation at work
- Latest court and tribunal cases
Students and graduates
- Finishing your studies in the next three months? Apply for registration now
What’s new?
Keep in touch with the Board

From the Chair

Occupational Therapy Week was at the end of October and with it we celebrated 80 years of connection. It has been 80 years since the formation of the first occupational therapist club in Australia, and it’s incredible to now see the diversity in the profession and what it delivers for the community.

During Occupational Therapy Week, the Board reflected on the current workforce shortage and pressures on occupational therapists. Our recent workforce survey showed that 31.4 per cent of practitioners who are considering not renewing their registration in the next five years cite burnout as a reason. It is more important than ever to ensure you have a supportive work environment, robust supervision/mentoring from your professional networks, and to switch off and do what you love outside of work.

I am also excited to share that on 16 October, Jennifer Morris, community member of the Board, was inducted into the Victorian Honour Roll of Women. Jen was nominated for being a ‘change agent’ in patient safety and this is a fantastic acknowledgement of her tireless work to improve health service outcomes for the public. Learn more about Jen in this edition of the newsletter.

Rebecca Singh
Chair, Occupational Therapy Board of Australia

Priority news

3G network closure and emergency devices – talk to consumers about this change

On Monday 28 October 2024, Telstra and Optus closed their 3G networks. Devices that depend on the 3G network will no longer work.

Devices including in-home personal emergency alarms, insulin pumps and pacemakers that rely on the 3G network for voice calls won’t be able to make Triple Zero (000) calls when the network is shut down.

People who use these devices will need to contact their service provider to see if their device is affected

It is estimated that approximately 200,000 people who use these devices do not know that they rely on the 3G network to work. We are asking practitioners to talk to potentially affected consumers about the change and what they need to do to stay safe and connected

More information is available on ‘3G is closing: check your tech’ on the AMTA website.

Board news

It’s time to renew your registration – renew now to avoid late fees

Occupational therapists have until 30 November to renew their general or non-practising registration. If you submit your application to renew on time, you can continue practising while your application is assessed. Renewing on time also means you’ll avoid late fees which apply after 30 November 2024.

Keep an eye out for your reminder email from Ahpra with your link to online renewal.

You can read the renewal FAQs on the Ahpra website for tips on logging in and for more information about renewal, read the news item.

Do you have adequate professional indemnity insurance?

Not having the appropriate professional indemnity insurance (PII) is a breach of professional standards that may have a significant impact on you and consumers of your services.

PII is a requirement for any health practitioner to safely practise their profession in Australia and is designed to protect both the public and the occupational therapist if a claim arises. Each year, when renewing your registration, you are required to declare whether you hold appropriate PII. Often this question is overlooked as many believe it is their employers’ responsibility. This is not the case.

While most employers do offer PII cover, it is your responsibility to ensure that your cover is appropriate. This means that your cover needs to meet any legal responsibility to pay compensation if a successful claim is made against you. Not having this cover could not only heavily impact you financially but result in an unsatisfactory outcome for people who use your services. This could leave them in a situation without the resources to support rehabilitation.

Your cover depends on a combination of factors such as practice area/s you work in, other services you work with, and any risks involved with your work. What might be considered appropriate for one occupational therapist may not be appropriate for another.

We encourage you to talk to your employer about the level of PII cover their insurance covers you for in the course of your employment and obtain a copy of the documents for your records.

What if I’m self-employed or volunteering?

If you are self-employed, volunteering, or in an unpaid position you must still ensure you have the appropriate cover for any practice you do. Some trade unions, professional bodies, and defence organisations offer PII as part of their membership or for an extra fee. Voluntary organisations may also cover the work of their volunteers.

Again, we highly recommend obtaining a copy of the documents for your records and if you are unsure, arrange your own cover directly.

Access more FAQs on PII on the Board’s website.

Get to know your Board – Jennifer Morris, community member

Can you share a bit about yourself and your professional or personal history?

My first ever professional job after university was working in an advocacy service for young people with disabilities, staffed by young people with disabilities. It was 2011-12, which was a feverish time in the sector. The grassroots movement advocating for what would become the NDIS was at its peak. That role really opened my eyes to the power of community voices and collective action in achieving societal change. The sense of connection and shared purpose I developed with the disability community at the time never left me, and it drew me to working with professions who work a lot with people with disabilities.

I have experienced many health challenges myself and have seen first-hand the full spectrum of safety and quality in healthcare, including being harmed by healthcare. I became fascinated by questions about the two extremes. Why does ‘the best’ happen (and how do we replicate it and make it the norm?) and why does ‘the worst’ happen, and how do we end and prevent it? These interests drew me into becoming an advocate for patient/consumer safety, and then to the world of health regulation.

These two aspects of myself intertwined in a professionally and personally fulfilling way when the opportunity to apply for a role on the Board presented itself. I felt it would be a great responsibility, and a privilege, to serve the Australian community in this role.

Can you share your experiences of being a community member and why you think it’s important that community voices are part of health regulation?

All of us (me included) exist within social entities that have their own cultures – whether it is the local netball club, a workplace, a profession or even a whole country. When we are embedded in these day-to-day, it can be hard to keep a balanced perspective or understand how they can influence our beliefs, attitudes and behaviour. It is also difficult to have truly transformative ideas about how to improve. This is one of the key reasons why diversity improves decision-making – it helps to break down groupthink and identify or solve problems with fresh ideas and perspectives.

Healthcare as a sector, and the health professions, also have these internal cultures. Serving the health, welfare and interests of the public should always be a top priority and goal of health practitioners in their practice. To achieve this, established cultures, perspectives and ways of doing things in professions and the sector must be constantly tested against the norms, needs and expectations of the wider society and people they serve. Often an outside perspective is best placed to do this. That is the vital role community voices serve in healthcare regulation. They provide a very particular and necessary form of diverse perspective.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

My original professional qualification was in science communication. I learned to take really technical, complex things, break them down, strip away unnecessary complexity, find the core of what matters, and explain that in ways non-experts can understand. In a way that is perhaps not immediately obvious, I find that skillset surprisingly relevant to my role on the Board. Sometimes, the most powerful thing I can do is cut through the complex noise of the health sector and its regulation, and really nail the ‘so what’ factor from a community perspective.

Latest workforce data released

The Board’s quarterly registration data to 30 September 2024 is published on its website. At this date there were 32,386 registered occupational therapists, including 31,187 with general registration and 916 with non-practising registration.

There are 204 occupational therapists who identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander, or 0.6 per cent of the profession.

For further details on registration by age, gender and principal place of practice, read the report on our Statistics page.

Good virtual care practices

Over 25 per cent of Australians have had at least one telehealth consultation for their own health in the last 12 months, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics data.

Ahpra and the National Boards have published virtual care information for health practitioners, the public and employers about accessing and providing safe and effective virtual care.

Practitioners and consumers are increasingly choosing virtual care alternatives as we continue to see growth in the adoption of technology, online prescribing and the use of health ‘apps’. What was once seen as a temporary approach to enable healthcare in a global pandemic is now widely accepted as just another way to see your practitioner.

AI in healthcare: what it means to you as an occupational therapist

Are you using Artificial Intelligence (AI) in your practice?

AI is rapidly becoming integrated into everyday healthcare and has the potential to transform and support new and innovative ways of working. So how do you ensure when using these new technologies that you maintain the continued high standard of care expected by the community?

Ahpra and National Boards support the safe use of AI in healthcare, recognising the significant potential to improve health outcomes and create a more person-centred health system.

While the potential of AI to improve diagnostics and disease detection has been reported for some time, recent commentary has focused on the benefits for health practitioners for improved care and patient satisfaction, including reducing administrative burdens and health practitioner burnout.

As new tools emerge, so do the unique practical and ethical issues associated with its use in a healthcare setting. Ahpra and the National Boards have developed principles for practitioners to consider when using or looking to integrate AI into their practice.

Specific professional obligations to consider include accountability, an appropriate understanding of the tool, transparency of its use, informed consent, and ethical and legal issues. Read Meeting your professional obligations when using AI in healthcare and its supporting case studies on the Ahpra website to learn more about what safe and effective use of AI should look like.

Regulation at work

Latest court and tribunal cases

We publish summaries of court and tribunal decisions to support practitioner education.

Occupational therapist banned for indecently dealing with a child

An occupational therapist has had his registration cancelled and been disqualified from reapplying for three years after being convicted of indecently dealing with a child of or over the age of 13 years and under the age of 16 years.

Students and graduates

Finishing your studies in the next three months? Apply for registration now

If you’re studying to become an occupational therapist and are about to finish your course, you can apply for registration now. Getting your application in early helps avoid any delays and helps get you into the workforce sooner. Applying early means Ahpra can start to assess your application while waiting for graduation results.

Before you can start working as an occupational therapist you have to be registered with the Occupational Therapy Board of Australia (the Board).

Easy steps to apply online

Create your account using Ahpra’s online services and complete your application.
Upload your documents and pay the required fees. Check that you have provided all required documents to prove you’ve met the registration standards, including certified copies of your photo ID.
Wait for your education provider to provide your graduate results to Ahpra.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander graduates

Ahpra’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement and Support team is there to assist you through the registration process.

The support team consists of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, and they provide a one-on-one service. They can assist you to navigate the registration process, provide regular phone contact, and advise on any disclosures you made on your registration application (for example, about impairments) that the Board may need to consider.

The support team is committed to assisting you to get registered promptly so you can start making vital contributions to culturally safe healthcare for your communities. If, after reading the handy hints below, you would still like some help with your application for registration, please email the support team at mobengagementsupport@ahpra.gov.au.

Handy hints to help you apply

Watch our video to get your application right: Applying for graduate registration.
You’ll find helpful advice, tips for avoiding common causes of delay, and downloadable information flyers on the Graduate applications page of the Ahpra website.
Read our news item for more information about applying.

What’s new?

Greater protection for the public under National Law changes

The recent series of amendments to the Health Practitioner Regulation National Law are now complete, with a final suite of changes being introduced from 1 July.

A key update for practitioners is that you can now nominate an alternative name to go on the register, alongside your legal name.

Some health practitioners may practise under an alternative name, such as a traditional name or an anglicised or shortened name. Having both your legal name and your alternative name appear on the public register will make it easier for the public to search the register and make informed decisions about their care.

You can find out more information about alternative names and how to nominate on the Ahpra website.

Other changes to the National Law from 1 July include:

allowing National Boards and Ahpra to issue interim prohibition orders to unregistered persons in certain circumstances where the person poses a serious risk to others
establishing the process regarding renewal of a practitioner’s registration after a period of suspension
empowering the National Boards to include previously excluded information in the National Register if there is a reasonable belief the circumstances have changed
enabling the Ministerial Council to delegate its power to approve registration standards to an appropriate entity.

More information about the above changes, as well as future areas of focus and ways to provide feedback, can be found on Ahpra's website.

Improving experiences when navigating a healthcare complaint

The Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (the Commission), Ahpra and the National Boards have worked on a joint project to explore opportunities to improve the consumer experience of making a healthcare complaint in Australia.

Both organisations wanted to get a better understanding of the barriers that consumers face when making a healthcare complaint and to discover what will better support consumers. The project found that the complexity of the complaints system places a huge weight of responsibility on consumers to understand how it works. Consumers are also experiencing barriers, whether social, economic or cultural, that are affecting their ability to make a complaint and want a system that is focused on their needs rather than administrative processes.

The final report has now been published along with resources for practitioners and the public about navigating healthcare complaints.

What we’ve done

To improve experiences for those going through a complaint process, the Commission and Ahpra have:

updated our websites to clarify the process of making a complaint
developed three animations to give clear information to the public about how and where to make a health complaint
developed a ‘Tips for consumers when making a complaint’ webpage and fact sheet
developed Healthcare complaints - where to make a complaint (downloadable fact sheet), and
created a complaints checklist for practitioners to help effectively handle feedback and complaints from their consumers .

We will continue to make improvements to our websites and consumer resources. In some states and territories, work is being explored to develop local resources about complaints options.

Review to ease the complexity of health regulation

The Review of complexity in the National Registration and Accreditation Scheme (the Dawson review) began in May 2024, and is led by the former NSW Health Care Complaints Commissioner Sue Dawson.

The independent review aims to identify areas of the National Scheme that are unnecessarily complex and recommend changes that will improve regulatory outcomes for health practitioners and the community.

Six terms of reference outline the scope of the review. These will consider:

how to streamline and harmonise decision-making to improve consistency in regulation
how to make complaints management more consumer-driven, consistent, accessible and efficient
how to make tribunal decision-making more consistent
how to manage new professions entering the National Scheme, and
the powers ministers have to direct entities exercising accreditation functions.

Consultation paper 1 was released on 12 September.

The review is expected to be completed by mid-2025.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner registration reaches exciting milestone

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners registered with Ahpra hit 1,000 for the first time in September.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners are a unique profession founded on traditional values, complemented by modern medicine. They are clinical and cultural experts who build trust, practise cultural safety and bring an understanding which strengthens health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

They work autonomously or as part of a multidisciplinary team, providing a broad range of expertise in both primary and tertiary healthcare, from administering and supplying medications, to acute and chronic disease management and advocating for consumers.

Their aim is to empower First Nations families and communities to make them feel welcome, safe and comfortable when using health services and to make self-determined decisions about their health and wellbeing. The profession, while small in number, is critical to ‘closing the gap’ by removing disparities in healthcare.

Ahpra congratulates the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia (ATSIHPBA) for ensuring practitioners are suitably trained, qualified and safe to practise, and for working collectively and collaboratively with the National Scheme and stakeholders to eliminate racism in healthcare.

Keep in touch with the Board

Visit our website for news about the profession and for registration standards, codes, guidelines, policies and fact sheets.
Lodge an online enquiry form.
For registration enquiries call 1300 419 495 (from within Australia).
Address mail correspondence to: Ms Rebecca Singh, Chair, Occupational Therapy Board of Australia, GPO Box 9958, Melbourne VIC 3001.