ACC Funding Arrangements Unsustainable

Current ACC funding arrangements for physiotherapists are unsustainable, states a draft report released today which highlights the need for underfunding to be addressed so that physiotherapists can continue providing quality care to all injured New Zealanders.

The New Zealand Society of Physiotherapists welcomes the findings. "We realise that this is a draft," said Jonathan Warren, NZSP President, "but oh, it is so good to see in print from an independent reviewer confirmation of what we have been claiming for so long."

Mr Warren quoted the reviewer's statements that physiotherapists cannot 'recover the sustainable cost of providing treatment to accident victims' and that 'This creates medium to long term risks in terms of quality and availability of physiotherapy services in New Zealand from the community to the physiotherapy profession'. "This is the fear we have been voicing, that physios could not continue to provide high quality services to injured New Zealanders on the fees we are currently paid by ACC," Mr Warren said. "This draft report has acknowledged the constraints and hardships many in our profession have been working under."

Mr Warren said that he expects the outcome of the final report will be good for both physiotherapists and injured people requiring services. He said that NZSP looks forward to positive government recognition of the final report in a practical way by raising physiotherapists' fees to a sustainable level.

The draft report also recognises past problems which ACC is addressing, in relation to communication, audits and fraud investigations. "We're looking ahead to forming more of a partnership with ACC," Mr Warren said, "especially by working positively with them to improve their communication with physios."

NZSP will continue to contribute to the final report due at the end of September.

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