The AHPA Insider
Tuesday, 12 August 2025

Allied health sector calls for Prac Payment reform to tackle placement poverty

AHPA recently joined Members of Parliament, including Dr Monique Ryan, Senator David Pocock, Dr Sophie Scamps MP and Dr Helen Haines, and allied health leaders to call for the immediate expansion of the Commonwealth Prac Payment (CPP) to include all allied health students.

Currently, most allied health disciplines remain excluded from the CPP, despite students completing long, unpaid placements, often in rural or remote areas. As a result, many students face significant financial hardship, a growing issue known as placement poverty.

AHPA has written to Minister for Education, The Hon Jason Clare MP, seeking his commitment to expanding the CPP and requesting a meeting to discuss the path forward.

Expanding the CPP is essential, not only for fairness, but to secure the future of our health, aged care, disability, and mental health systems.

AHPA responds to Inquiry into Foundational and Disability Supports for children and young people in NSW

AHPA appeared at a hearing for the Inquiry into Foundational and Disability Supports available for children and young people in New South Wales. AHPA was represented by Antony Nicholas, Carolyn O’Mahoney, Lyn Brodie and Michelle Oliver.

Throughout the hearing, AHPA highlighted the essential role that allied health play within foundational, and disability supports to optimise the development, health and wellbeing of children and young people.

Progress for allied health in digital health access

Amendments to the Healthcare Identifiers Act (2010) have recently passed in the Lower House, marking a step forward for allied health. These amendments will mean:

• Self-regulating allied health professionals will now be eligible for a Healthcare Provider Identifier – Individual (HPI-I), and

• The process for assigning an HPI-I to self-regulating allied health professionals will be simplified.

Currently, fewer than 5% of self-regulating allied health professionals have an HPI-I, which is essential for accessing key digital tools like My Health Record and e-prescribing.

A big thank you to Simon Cleverley, Assistant Secretary, Digital Health Branch for the Australia Government Department of Health, Disability and Ageing for his commitment to integrating allied health into the digital health world.

AHPA responds to consultation on NDIS Supports Rules

AHPA submitted a response to the Department of Social Services consultation on NDIS Supports Rules. AHPA is committed to ensuring all Australians can access safe, evidence-based services, including allied health, to assist them to realise their potential for physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development.

Our response highlighted several concerns with the current supports lists approach, which is limiting innovation and individualisation of NDIS services and supports. This in turn is preventing a holistic and person-centred approach to providing NDIS supports that is fundamental to genuine choice and control.

NDIS pricing: AHPA meets with Senator McAllister

Following the release of the NDIA’s Annual Pricing Review, AHPA met with Senator the Hon Jenny McAllister, Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, to discuss the vital role of allied health in the NDIS.

We appreciated the opportunity to talk about strengthening engagement with the allied health sector as reform work is undertaken—ensuring participants have access to essential services now and into the future.

It was a productive discussion, and we look forward to working with the Minister and her office moving forward.

Allied health front and centre at Sparked Clinical Design Group event

Not familiar with the work of Sparked or why it matters to you as an allied health professional? Learn more here.

PiCSA joins as newest full member

AHPA welcomes Professionals in Cardiac Sciences Australia (PiCSA), the peak representative body for cardiac physiologists in Australia, as our newest full member.

PiCSA joins a strong network of national allied health peak bodies, working together to advance allied health in Australia.

Help set the research agenda for sepsis in Australia

AHPA has partnered with the National Critical Care Research (NCCR) Collaboration to help them reach a broad cross section of Australian healthcare professionals with their research priority consultation Shaping Sepsis Care.

Sepsis is a life-threatening condition that affects 55,000 Australians each year, leading to 8,700 deaths—that’s three times more than common cancers and four times more than road trauma.

NCCR are seeking physiotherapists, dietitians, occupational therapists, psychologists, social workers and any other allied health professional with experience caring for people with sepsis. Please complete the short survey today and share with relevant colleagues and patients.