Chiropractic Board of Australia - November 2024
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Help & Tips

November 2024

Issue 36 - November 2024

From the Chair

Wayne Minter Chiropractic Board Chair

Welcome to our final newsletter for the year.

At the end of October, I joined regulators and educators at the 12th World Federation of Chiropractic Global Education Conference in Malaysia. It was a wonderful chance to meet regulators of the chiropractic profession from around the world but also learn about the technology and innovation in chiropractic education programs. 

We also recently engaged with chiropractic students through a series of university presentations. We encourage all final year students to apply for registration as soon as possible; read more below.

A quick reminder for those that haven’t renewed their registration – you still have until 30 November to renew before late fees will apply. Skip the stress and renew now.

On behalf of the Board, I wish you a safe and happy holiday season.

Dr Wayne Minter AM
Chair, Chiropractic Board of Australia

Priority news

3G network closure and emergency devices – talk to consumers about this change

As of 28 October 2024, Telstra and Optus closed their 3G networks. Devices that depend on the 3G network will no longer work.

Devices including in-home personal emergency alarms, insulin pumps and pacemakers that rely on the 3G network for voice calls won’t be able to make Triple Zero (000) calls when the network is shut down.

People who use these devices will need to contact their service provider to see if their device is affected

It is estimated that approximately 200,000 people who use these devices do not know that they rely on the 3G network to work. We are asking practitioners to talk to potentially affected consumers about the change and what they need to do to stay safe and connected

More information is available on ‘3G is closing: check your tech’ on the AMTA website.

This is a community service notice. All queries should be referred to the service provider.

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Board news

It’s time to renew your registration – renew now to avoid late fees

Chiropractors have until 30 November to renew their general or non-practising registration. If you submit your application to renew on time, you can continue practising while your application is assessed. Renewing on time also means you’ll avoid late fees which apply after 30 November 2024.

Keep an eye out for your reminder email from Ahpra with your link to online renewal.

You can read the renewal FAQs on the Ahpra website for tips on logging in and for more information about renewal, read the news item.

Latest workforce data released

The Board’s latest quarterly registration data report covers the period to 30 September 2024. At this date there were 6,553 registered chiropractors, including 440 with non-practising registration.

For further data breakdowns by age, gender and principal place of practice, visit the Board’s Statistics page to read the report.

Students and graduates

Finishing your studies in the next three months? Apply for registration now

If you’re studying to become a chiropractor and are about to finish your course, you can apply for registration now. Getting your application in early helps avoid any delays and helps get you into the workforce sooner. Applying early means Ahpra can start to assess your application while waiting for graduation results.

Before you can start working as a chiropractor you have to be registered with the Chiropractic Board of Australia (the Board).

Easy steps to apply online

  1. Create your account using Ahpra’s online services and complete your application.
  2. Upload your documents and pay the required fees. Check that you have provided all required documents to prove you’ve met the registration standards, including certified copies of your photo ID.
  3. Wait for your education provider to send your graduate results to Ahpra.

Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander graduates

Ahpra’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement and Support team is there to assist you through the registration process.

The support team consists of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, and they provide a one-on-one service. They can assist you to navigate the registration process, provide regular phone contact, and advise on any disclosures you made on your registration application (for example, about impairments) that the Board may need to consider.

The support team is committed to assisting you to get registered promptly so you can start making vital contributions to culturally safe healthcare for your communities. If, after reading the handy hints below, you would still like some help with your application for registration, please email the support team at mobengagementsupport@ahpra.gov.au.

Handy hints to help you apply

Applying to Services Australia for a Medicare provider number?

Don’t forget you need to allow time for your Medicare provider number application to be processed by Services Australia. This is a separate application through Services Australia and can take up to 28 days to process. It is an offence to use anyone else’s Medicare provider number even if you are treating patients in the same practice.

Be sure to submit your application early to avoid delays.

What’s new?

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioner registration reaches exciting milestone

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners registered with Ahpra hit 1,000 for the first time in September.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practitioners are a unique profession founded on traditional values, complemented by modern medicine. They are clinical and cultural experts who build trust, practise cultural safety and bring an understanding which strengthens health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.

They work autonomously or as part of a multidisciplinary team, providing a broad range of expertise in both primary and tertiary healthcare, from administering and supplying medications, to acute and chronic disease management and advocating for consumers.

Their aim is to empower First Nations families and communities to make them feel welcome, safe and comfortable when using health services and to make self-determined decisions about their health and wellbeing. The profession, while small in number, is critical to ‘closing the gap’ by removing disparities in healthcare.

Ahpra congratulates the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Practice Board of Australia (ATSIHPBA) for ensuring practitioners are suitably trained, qualified and safe to practise, and for working collectively and collaboratively with the National Scheme and stakeholders to eliminate racism in healthcare.

Read more in the media release.

Ahpra’s annual report shows progress in addressing workforce needs

Addressing workforce needs by getting more health practitioners safely registered faster and responding to new risks from emerging models of care are the highlights of the 2023/24 Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (Ahpra) annual report.

At 30 June this year, there were 920,535 registered health practitioners in Australia, a 4.9 per cent increase on the previous year. This means there are now 3.4 registered health practitioners for every 100 Australians. This is the first time the number of registered practitioners has exceeded 900,000, and 96.9 per cent of these practitioners hold practising registration.

Improvements to Ahpra’s registration processes have almost halved the time to finalise international applications, cutting the previous 60-day average to just 33 days. There was strong growth in the number of internationally qualified health practitioners with 48.4 per cent more new overseas practitioners gaining registration than in the previous financial year.

Maintaining a balance between access to needed healthcare and the risk posed by some emerging models of care is a key priority for Ahpra, amid the acceleration of telehealth, online prescribing and direct-to-consumer health services. New models of care in areas such as medicinal cannabis and vaping have led Ahpra to develop cross-regulatory solutions with other regulators, such as the Therapeutic Goods Administration, to take a system-wide approach to patient safety.

Learn more about the Board's data in the annual report or read the news item.

Want more information?

  • Visit our website for news about the profession and for registration standards, codes, guidelines, policies and fact sheets.
  • Lodge an online enquiry form.
  • For registration enquiries call 1300 419 495 (from within Australia).
  • Address mail correspondence to: Dr Wayne Minter, Chair, Chiropractic Board of Australia, GPO Box 9958, Melbourne VIC 3001.
 
 
Page reviewed 26/11/2024
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