1.

Act at all times to provide an appropriate service for patients/clients in their care unrestricted by considerations of nationality, race, culture, creed, politics or social status.

2.

Hold in confidence all personal information entrusted to them except where inter-professional communication is in the best interests of the patient.

3.

Recognise the extent and limitations of their professional expertise and those of physiotherapy attendants and undertake only those activities that are within their competence.

4.

Co-operate with their physiotherapy colleagues and members of related professions.

5.

Use discretion when teaching to other than physiotherapists, physiotherapy procedures which demand the competence of a physiotherapist, to safeguard the patients well-being.

6.

Not allow their names accompanied by vocational or professional affiliation to appear in association with any product sold or distributed to the public.

7.

Not permit patients under their care to be billed for physiotherapy services in their own name, where the recipient of the fees for such services is a third party who is not a physiotherapist.

8.

Not provide physiotherapy services which are billed as a medical practitioner’s consultation or service.

9.

Having acted as a locum tenens or assistant, shall not:

9.1 continue the treatment of a patient after the return to practice of the principal, unless with the consent of the principal;

9.2 succeed to the practice of the principal, except by purchase, or with the consent of the principal, or the principal’s representatives.

10.

Physiotherapists may advertise their practice provided that such advertising:-

(1) is not false;

(2) is not misleading or deceptive, or likely to mislead or deceive;

(3) is not vulgar or sensational such as would be likely to adversely affect the standing of the physiotherapy profession;

(4) does not consist of self-laudatory statements;

(5) does not claim or imply superiority for the practitioner over other practitioners;

(6) does not denigrate others;

(7) does not contain testimonials or endorsements concerning the practitioner or the practice;

(8) complies with the Australian Physiotherapy Association ethics and policies.

11.

Physiotherapists should be familiar with the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) document ‘Statement on human experimentation’ before undertaking research involving human subjects. Physiotherapists should be familiar with the provisions of the Australian Code of practice for the care and use of animals for scientific purposes and with its general principles outlined in the NHMRC document ‘Statement on animal experimentation’, if undertaking experiments on animals. Physiotherapists wishing to carry out research must submit their project to an appropriate Institutional Ethics Committee for approval following that Committee’s guidelines.