Physios told not to register with regulator in row over titles

The professional body representing physiotherapists has told its 3,300 members not to register with the State regulator in a row over legal recognition of titles. The Irish Society of Chartered Physiotherapists says new arrangements for registering the profession have the potential to allow anyone who has called themselves a physical therapist or a physiotherapist to gain access to the register, regardless of qualification.

It claimed Minister for Health Simon Harris, by proposing the new arrangements, is putting people's health at risk and causing public confusion.

The society, whose members have completed university-level physiotherapy courses, has long complained about rival physical therapy services offered by practitioners who may have completed part-time courses as short as six weeks.

It wants assurances from Mr Harris that he intends to implement a decision by his predecessor, Leo Varadkar, to protect both titles of physiotherapist and physical therapist in the one register.

Mr Varadkar planned to give legal protection to physiotherapists and, on a once-off basis, to graduates of the Institute for Physical Therapy and Applied Sciences (Iptas).

Mr Harris told the Dáil last month he planned to extend legal protection to physiotherapists by the end of 2018. He said he would also facilitate existing physical therapists who are graduates of the institute “or who hold equivalent qualifications” to use the title of physical therapist.

However, in a letter to the society last Friday, he suggested registration would be open to those who could show professional competence and existing use of the title “but who don’t have the Iptas qualification” or equivalent.

The society claims this will allow practitioners with limited qualifications to continue to practise in the area, with detrimental outcomes for public health and safety.

The department maintains there is no change in policy. “The department is implementing the decisions taken earlier this year that the titles of physiotherapist and physical therapist will be protected in law, and that there will be only one register for the profession. The establishment of the register is a separate matter to the legal process of protecting title.”

Physiotherapists were brought under a statutory regime from September 30th, when the register was opened by Coru, the State body that regulates health professions aside from medicine and nursing. Coru already regulates eight other professions and plans to open registers for a further five in the coming years.