Meeting with the Physiotherapy Board

On 19 June 2025, members of the New Physiotherapy Trust (NZPT) met with the New Zealand Physiotherapy Board; Jeanette Woltman-Black (Chief Executive) and James Dunne (Registrar).

Members of the Trust present were:

Julian Cloete, Graeme Hayhow, Sarah Talyancich, Dr Benjamin Hinchcliff, and Dr Jacqui Clark.

The items discussed were:

Senior Clinician

The Board acknowledged that the NZPT will award “Senior Clinician” status to our members if they meet the requirements. The requirements were presented to the Board.

ACC read codes

The ACC Read codes available to physiotherapists limit our ability to correctly diagnose injuries with the ACC. Some physiotherapists are adding thigh sprain injuries to a claimant’s ACC covered injuries when the claimant has symptoms of lower extremity radiculopathy.

It is suggested that this has created problems downstream when claimants seek ACC surgery funding for lumbar disc herniation with radiculopathy injuries.

The ACC should me made aware of these concerns.

ACC stating that orthopods provide better evidence

The ACC has stated that evidence from orthopedic specialists is better than evidence from physiotherapists.

This is concerning, as physiotherapists should be able to provide opinions on injury causation as good as, if not better than, the orthopods.

This issue was raised with the Board, as it may appear that the ACC is undermining physiotherapists’ knowledge and skills related to injury causation.

MRI Referrals

The Board was updated on the contractual problems between the ACC and radiology groups when physiotherapists seek ACC funded MRI procedures.

There may be ways to challenge the ACC on the legitimacy of the contracts, and NZPT is considering options.

ACC Medical certificates

Advocacy is continuing in this space. NZPT spoke with the ACC minister on various issues with the ACC and the NZPT acknowledge that a law change is required for physiotherapists to issue ACC medical certificates.

PNZ -New CEO

A new Physiotherapy New Zealand CEO was appointed, and it is hoped that the NZPT can work with them to improve the lives of patients that are treated by New Zealand physiotherapists.

Update from the Board

Around 1,500 overseas physiotherapists per year are registered by the Board and are allowed to practice in New Zealand. Around 88% of these physiotherapists do not practice in New Zealand and instead go to another country such as Australia.

There is fewer patient complaints received.

The Board is setting up a new database and asks our members to set up or update their accounts with the Board.

Physiotherapists can diagnose conditions such as CRPS. We need to have the training to diagnose any conditions. For example, if we have not been trained in the Budapest criteria, we should not be diagnosing CRPS.

The Board is working with AI issues, such as where patient information is being stored. AI may write physiotherapy notes, but we must be careful about where they are then stored.

The Board has an education site on its website.

The NZPT is grateful for the work the Board is doing and for meeting with the NZPT.

Dr Benjamin Hinchcliff (NZPT Director)