To support our work, we have established a range of working groups and committees which are focused on particular priority issue areas or areas that are of particular relevance to a sub-section of the allied health community we represent.
AHPARR was established in recognition of the need to understand and support the unique requirements of the allied health professionals working in non-urban locations. AHPA’s Member Organisations currently have over 14,000 rural and remote allied health professional members. AHPARR consists of representatives from a broad range of allied health professions, each of whom works in a rural and remote area. The committee provides AHPA with dedicated rural and remote allied health representation and supports AHPA’s voice around rural and remote issues at a national level. The committee is interested in allied health practice related to rural and remote services and advises AHPA on relevant issues.
Allied health professionals are key providers of a wide range of services for people experiencing disability. The NDIS is driving large scale changes to the way disability services are delivered and funded and its implementation is significantly impacting many allied health providers. The AHPA NDIS Working Group consists of representatives from each allied health profession active in the delivery of services for people with disabilities and aims to provide a strong link to the National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA), governments and other key stakeholders. Its focus is to support allied health providers of NDIS-funded services and to advocate where necessary to ensure allied health providers are not disadvantaged by the Scheme. The Working Group also aims to work cooperatively to provide submissions to consultations related to the rollout and development of the NDIS.
The Australian Government is currently undertaking a large scale review of the Medicare Benefits Schedule. AHPA and its members believe that there are significant issues with the current rebate structure, which results in reduced access to private allied health services for people that cannot afford to pay out-of-pocket costs as well as reduced incomes for providers. The AHPA MBS Working Group has been established to collect evidence and build a case for reform of allied health MBS items, focused particularly around increased rebates and annual service limits under the Chronic Disease Management (CDM) program. The Working Group consists of representatives from each allied health profession that provides services under the CDM program.
AHPA is actively engaged in work to support the use of digital health technology by the allied health sector. This includes the use of clinical information systems, secure messaging and My Health Record. To ensure AHPA appropriately understands the issues faced by allied health practitioners in their use of digital health technology, AHPA has convened a ‘Think Tank’ consisting of representatives from a broad range of allied health member associations and supported by practitioner representatives from private practice. The group works to identify activities to support practitioners and to undertake advocacy activities with government and other stakeholders in support of the allied health sector. The group recognises the significant challenges faced by practices in the absence of the support and funding provided to other primary care providers.
To contact these committees or to provide feedback, please contact [email protected].
Allied Health Leaders Network online (AHLNonline) is a multi-disciplinary allied health network developed by Allied Health Professions Australia in conjunction with our member associations as a forum that provides relevant, cross-disciplinary information to help support the work of allied health leaders. It also aims to provide you with an opportunity to network with other allied health practitioners. Access to the network is via your member association.
AHPA also participates in several national bodies of relevance to our member associations and their individual members. Our focus is on facilitating engagement between AHPA and its members and other organisations active in supporting allied health interests. In addition to these committees and working groups, AHPA is also frequently invited to participates in government committees and bodies related to the allied health sector.
NAHCC was established in 1993 with representation from a broad range of allied health professional associations and from each of the state and territory Allied Health Classification Committees. AHPA took on the role of auspicing the Committee in 2012. The NAHCC aims to provide the Australian healthcare industry with nationally consistent methods of classifying, measuring, evaluating and developing Allied Health services, contributing to better health outcomes. Recent work has included the development and testing of a minimum dataset for allied health.
For more information about the committee, please visit www.nahcc.org.au.
AHPA is a member of the National Rural Health Alliance, which comprises of 38 national organisations. The Alliance works to improve the health and wellbeing of the 7 million people living in rural and remote Australia. Members of the Alliance represent consumer groups, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health sector, health professional organisations and service providers.
For more information about the alliance, please visit www.ruralhealth.org.au.
The Forum was established in January 2013 as a collaborative group of representatives from allied health organisations who work together on issues of national importance to the allied health professions and the Australian public. Its members include Indigenous Allied Health Australia (IAHA), Services for Rural and Remote Allied Health (SARRAH), National Allied Health Advisors Committee (NAHAC), the Australian Council of Deans of Health Sciences and Allied Health Professions Australia.
During 2015, a range of allied health stakeholder groups including AHPA came together to consider how allied health could strengthen its contribution to the health system in order to deliver better health outcomes for Australians. A series of workshops were held with the support of the Department of Health to brainstorm and refine ideas from allied health professionals, general practitioners and public health organisations.
That process led to the development of the Strategic Plan for the Allied Health Sector document, which provides a record of the ideas and proposed actions that were developed during the workshops. The plan represents a collection of views of organisations involved in the development of this document, and may not fully represent the views of AHPA and its member associations.
Strategic Plan for the Allied Health Sector May 2015
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