Seanad debates

Tuesday, 21 November 2017

Health and Social Care Professionals (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage

 

2:30 pm

Photo of Keith SwanickKeith Swanick (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Fianna Fáil will be supporting this Bill which makes minor technical amendments to the relevant Act and will facilitate the implementation of the decision to protect the title of physical therapist. These decisions were taken following a consultation process and were welcomed by the professional bodies involved. The Bill originally introduced in the Dáil proposed to protect both titles under one protected title, physiotherapist, in order to eliminate the ongoing risk of title confusion and the consequent risks to public safety. It also proposed certain qualifying criteria to enable physical therapists to register as physiotherapists. As the Oireachtas Bills digest on this legislation points out, there are obvious similarities in the titles of physiotherapist and physical therapist and both professions closely overlap in practice.

The Physiotherapists Registration Board estimates that there are over 3,000 people practising physiotherapy in Ireland and approximately 300 people practising as physical therapists. However, as we know, these are not identical professions. Physiotherapists primarily work in the public sector and are trained to provide musculoskeletal therapies, cardio-respiratory therapies and neurological therapies. In Ireland, physical therapists mostly work in the private sector and are trained to provide musculoskeletal therapies solely.

In a letter to the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists in January 2016 then Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, in undertaking to legislate on the matter, stated "new registrants will be required to confine their practise to musculoskeletal therapy."

Similarly, in October 2016, the Minister, Deputy Harris, told the Dáil:

New grandparenting provisions will allow such practitioners to apply on a once-off basis and for a limited period to register in the physiotherapists register, confining their practice to musculoskeletal therapies. Preparation of the necessary legislation to give effect to these decisions is now at an advanced stage.

However, the Bill as initially published by Government did not make it explicit that physical therapists will be confining their practice to musculoskeletal therapies. Consequently, the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists raised grave concerns about the Bill.

Fianna Fáil tabled an amendment in the Dáil which served to make good on the commitments made by former the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, and the current Minister for Health, Deputy Harris. On Committee Stage, the Minister said that the Department of Health would, before Report Stage, engage further with the two professional bodies involved, the Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists, ISCP, and the Irish Association of Physical Therapists, IAPT, on the provisions that were of particular concern to them. On that basis Fianna Fáil withheld its amendments. Over the summer recess, and following meetings and correspondence between Department officials and representatives of the ISCP and IAPT, it was agreed that the outstanding concerns of the two professional bodies would be adequately addressed by amendments in two areas. I am happy that both groups are now fully supportive of the Bill as it stands and that it can progress further.

There is another group, however, whose concerns have not been addressed in any way. Athletic Rehabilitation Therapy Ireland, ARTI, which is an important cohort of professionals, was formed in 2009 to act as the governing body of Certified and Athletic Rehabilitation Therapists in Ireland who have graduated from accredited honours degree programmes. These are a group of professionals who have spent four years studying in one of the three State-funded programmes delivered in Dublin City University, the Institute of Technology, Carlow, and Athlone Institute of Technology. ARTI has become a leading organisation in Ireland in the area of musculoskeletal and sports medicine. As a result of following best international practice in terms of programme accreditation, independent certification and membership requirements, ARTI is the only European body to have earned a mutual recognition agreement with sports medicine bodies in the USA and Canada. Many of these professionals work hand-in-hand with consultant colleagues of mine around the country who specialise in sports medicines. They are a vital cohort of professionals and they are seeking recognition and regulation. While it may not be possible to do this in the Bill before us today, this matter needs to be addressed. Will the Minister of State give a commitment today that he will look at this issue not with regard to this Bill but in the near future. I would be willing to introduce legislation in this regard. As I said, this is an important cohort of professionals that have been ignored.

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