FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

PHYSIOTHERAPY BOARD OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA

INFORMATION STATEMENT
FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30 JUNE 2009

(For the Purpose of Section 9 of the Freedom of Information Act, 1991)

The Board is the Body Corporate in South Australia responsible to Parliament for the administration of the Physiotherapy Practice Act 2005 (the Act).  The Act protects the health and safety of the public by providing for the registration of physiotherapists and physiotherapy students. The Act regulates the practice of physiotherapy for the purpose of maintaining high standards of competence and conduct by the persons who provide it; and for the other purposes.

1. STRUCTURE & FUNCTIONS

The Board's overall structure is set out below in the chart.

The Board consists of 9 members appointed by the Governor of whom—

  • 5 must be physiotherapists and of these
    • 4 are to be chosen at an election; and
    • 1 is to be selected from a panel of 3 physiotherapists nominated by the Council of the University of South Australia; and
  • 1 must be a legal practitioner nominated by the Minister; and
  • 1 must be a medical practitioner nominated by the Minister; and
  • 2 must be persons nominated by the Minister who are not eligible forappointment under a preceding provision of this subsection.

At least 1 of the members of the Board must be a woman and 1 must be a man.
The Governor may appoint a person to be a deputy of a member and a person so appointed may act as a member of the Board in the absence of the member.
The functions of the Board are as follows:-

  • to oversee the practice of physiotherapy in the public interest;
  • to approve, after consultation with authorities considered appropriate by the Board, courses of education or training that provide qualifications for registration under the Act;
  • to determine, after consultation with authorities considered appropriate by the Board, the requirements necessary for registration under the Act;
  • to establish and maintain the registers contemplated by the Act;
  • to prepare or endorse, subject to the approval of the Minister, codes of conduct or professional standards for registered persons or codes of conduct for physiotherapy services providers;
  • to prepare or endorse guidelines on continuing physiotherapy education for physiotherapists;
  • to establish administrative processes for handling complaints received against registered persons, physiotherapy services providers or persons who occupy positions of authority in corporate or trustee physiotherapy services providers (which may include processes under which the registered person, provider or person who occupies the position voluntarily enters into an undertaking);
  • to provide advice to the Minister as the Board considers appropriate;
  • to carry out other functions assigned to the Board by or under the Act, or by the Minister.

The Board must perform its functions under this Act with the object of protecting the health and safety of the public by achieving and maintaining high professional standards both of competence and conduct in the provision of physiotherapy in this State.

The Registrar is responsible to the Board for the following services –

  • maintaining up to date Registers and information
  • all accounting requirements
  • administrative and secretarial support
  • investigation of complaints under the Act
  • assisting members of the public and profession about registration and policy matters

The Registrar is the FOI Officer and may be contacted at the address shown in the last part of this Statement.

The Crown Solicitor provides the Board with legal services.

2. EFFECT OF FUNCTIONS ON MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC

The functions of the Board have an effect on the general public in that they protect the interests of the community by –

  • providing effective maintenance of professional, educational and practice standards;
  • preventing harmful practices of unqualified/untrained persons; and
  • providing complaint and disciplinary mechanisms.

Members of the public are entitled to complain to the Board about -

  1. a physiotherapist, or physiotherapy student's mental or physical fitness to practice; or
  2. a physiotherapist or physiotherapy student or physiotherapy service provider behaving unprofessionally;
  3. an unregistered person practising physiotherapy or holding out as a physiotherapist or physiotherapy student.

In the case of (a), above, the Board may suspend or cancel registration or impose conditions on a person's practice.

In the case of (b), above, the Board may proceed to a formal disciplinary inquiry and impose penalties such as a fine, reprimand, suspension or cancellation of registration or restrictions on the right of practice.

In the case of (c), above, the Board may proceed to lay a complaint in a Court of Summary Jurisdiction for a breach of the Act.

3. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN POLICY FORMULATION

Meetings of the Board and Committees are not open to the public nor are minutes made readily available as much of the business relates to personal, legal, professional, confidential and quasi judicial matters.

The Board will invite from time to time comments in relation to policy development and other Board functions from the appropriate stakeholders for consideration by the Board in the preparation of those policies or functions.

Persons wishing to provide comment to the Board on policy and procedures may do so by writing to the Registrar at the address shown at point 5 of this document.

4. KINDS OF DOCUMENTS HELD

The Board has a computerised records management system and two categories of hard copy files. These are as follows:

1) Registration Files (hard copy)

These contain the original applications for registration and subsequent applications for annual renewal of registration. They may also contain other registrant related information including inquiry records.

2) Administration & Policy Files (hard copy)

These files hold all documents concerned with the day-to-day management of the Board; general business; policy and procedure; complaints; consultants; equipment, National Registration and Accreditation Scheme transition documentation (hard and soft copy) etc.

3) Register (computerised)

A database of individual registrants is kept on computer.  The registers are available for inspection by any person during ordinary office hours at the office of the Registrar and the registers or extracts of the registers may be made available to the public by electronic means.

A person may on payment of the prescribed fee obtain a copy of any part of the register kept under this Act.

Minutes of meetings and computerised accounting records are kept in hard copy.

4) Protocol, Procedure & Guidance Documents

  • Procedure Upon Receipt of a Complaint
  • Statement on Clinical Supervision
  • Policy and Protocols for Limited Registration as a Physiotherapist in South Australia
  • Board's Statement on Acupuncture
  • Circular to Final Year Students
  • Circular note on Physiotherapy Practice Act 2005
  • Physiotherapy Board of South Australia Code of Ethics
  • Physiotherapy Board of South Australia Board Members
  • Australia & New Zealand Physiotherapist Registration Boards listing
  • Professional Indemnity Insurance Policy
  • Guidelines – Medicines to be sold, supplied or used therapeutically by physiotherapists
  • Board’s Guidelines for Needling Practices
  • Code of Ethics
  • Draft Code of Professional Conduct and Practice

The Board's Code of Ethics and Requirements for Registration information sheets are available from the office, or to download and print from the Board's web site (shown at the bottom of this statement). No charge is made. In addition, new registrants receive, at no charge, a Certificate of Registration and the Code of Ethics. They are advised that a copy of the Act can be viewed on the Board's website.

Other documents held by the Board and provided free of charge include:-

  • Applications for registration
  • Fee schedules
  • Lists of educational institutions
  • Interstate Boards
  • Newsletters

A copy of the Annual Report can be downloaded and printed from the Board's web site (shown at the bottom of this statement).

A schedule of Registration and Administrative Fees is available on request or from the Board's web site.

5. ACCESS ARRANGEMENTS, PROCEDURES & POINTS OF CONTACT

To access documents, other than those identified above as available, it is necessary to apply in writing under the Freedom Of Information Act to:

Registrar/FOI Officer
Physiotherapy Board of South Australia
GPO Box 1270
ADELAIDE SA 5001

Telephone: (08) 8274 1488
Facsimile: (08) 8372 6677
E-mail: jbailey@gtsa.com.au
Web Site: www.physioboardsa.org.au

The Board's office is open Monday to Friday 9.00am – 5.00pm and is located at:

Grant Thornton House
Level 1
67 Greenhill Road
WAYVILLE SA 5034

Application and processing fees are in accordance with the Freedom Of Information (fees & charges) Regulations 1991.

Dated:  27 July 2009
      © 2009 Physiotherapy Board of SA