Certificate of Capacity

The Australian Hand Therapy Association (AHTA) is seeking legislative changes in all jurisdictions to allow hand therapists, regardless of whether their foundational training is as an occupational therapist (OT) or a physiotherapist (PT), to issue certificates of capacity and/or subsequent certificates of capacity for injured workers and those injured in traffic accidents. 

Many Australians injured in workplace or traffic accidents experience delays in their return-to-work journey as a result of current requirements in most jurisdictions for certificates of capacity to be issued by medical practitioners, even where the medical practitioner is not the primary treating practitioner. Delays in being able to access medical practitioners, particularly in rural and remote settings, as well as potential issues ensuring that the medical practitioner has access to the most up-to-date information about the person’s functional capacity, can delay return to work processes resulting in increased income support costs and delays in the person being able to return to work. This in turn can result in mental health and wellbeing impacts as well as impacting the productivity of the employer. 

Expanding the eligible workforce to include PT and OT hand therapists as eligible issuers of certificates of capacity or subsequent certificates of capacity is a safe, cost-effective and evidence-based means of improving the timeliness of return-to-work processes for those recovering from injury. Several jurisdictions have already made this change, and an evaluation by Monash University of changes made in New South Wales (Iles and Malios 2021) found that allowing physiotherapists and psychologists to issue subsequent certificates for injured workers: 

• Improved access, reduced waiting times, and supported timelier upgrades in work capacity. 
• Resulted in no adverse consequences being reported by insurers or case managers. 
• Resulted in certificates with more detail and focus on function. 

The information linked below provides additional background and context for this change. 

AHTA Position Statement >

OTA and AHTA Joint Statement >