Allied health practitioners have an important role in the NSW workers compensation scheme. We are engaged to provide specialised expertise to assess a worker’s capacity and any barriers to recovery at work, and to provide evidence based treatment with a focus on return to work to optimise worker recovery.
In the workers compensation scheme, returning to and recovering at work is a managed process involving a multidisciplinary team. The team includes the employer, insurer case manager, doctor, a workplace rehabilitation provider (if required) and us, your allied health practitioner.
Our role
As the allied health practitioner, our primary objective is to support the worker to optimise their recovery and return to work. This is generally achieved through evidence‑based clinical intervention and management.
Our role often involves:
- setting expectations from the first consultation regarding their recovery at/return to work, active participation in recovery, planning and treatment
- conducting a detailed assessment and (where applicable) providing information to inform and/or confirm diagnosis and treatment strategies. Where a diagnosis is not clear, we provide a provisional diagnosis and explain our reason(s) for this
- obtaining information from the insurer and/or employer to assist with goal setting and tailoring of treatment interventions
- providing information to the support team regarding the worker’s progress and capacity for work
- educating the worker about the health benefits of good work
- improving the worker’s independence and participation in their home and community
Delivering services in the NSW scheme
In the NSW workers compensation scheme, allied health practitioners are classified under two categories:
- SIRA approved allied health practitioners
- non SIRA approved allied health practitioners
We are Non SIRA approved practitioners. What this means is that if you need Acupuncture treatment as part of your recovery, we can be a part of your treatment team, however for your insurer to approve it, you will need a letter from your GP stating that you need Acupuncture treatment to aid your recovery.
If you have any questions, we’re here to help. Please call (02) 9659 6099 or send us an email at enquiries@theacupunctureroom.com.au.