Under section 41 of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003, and under delegated authority from the Physiotherapy Board of New Zealand, the Registrar sets the following Recertification Programme for physiotherapists who registered using the Board’s Express Pathway.
The purpose of this programme is that the physiotherapists to whom the programme applies are culturally competent to practice as registered physiotherapists.
Who is required to participate?
This programme applies to all registered physiotherapists who were granted registration via the Express Pathway because they either:
- held a primary physiotherapy qualification from the UK, Ireland, Canada or South Africa; or
- held unconditional registration as a physiotherapist in the UK, Ireland, Canada or South Africa.
What are the requirements?
Practitioners who fall into the category as described above must submit the following information for assessment by the Board on request:
- Their current email address and up to date contact information; and
- Whether they are currently practising physiotherapy in Aotearoa New Zealand, or intend to start practising physiotherapy in Aotearoa | New Zealand in the next 12 months; and
- If they are currently practising physiotherapy in Aotearoa | New Zealand:
- The setting they are currently practising physiotherapy in, e.g. public hospital, private clinic, primary care, community etc.; and
- A reflection (maximum 400 words) on working as an autonomous physiotherapist practitioner in Aotearoa | New Zealand addressing how it differs from the last country they practiced in, and what they have put in place to support their practising autonomously in a new country; and
- A reflection (maximum 400 words) on how they have engaged with Māori as tangata whenua; and
- A reflection (maximum 400 words) on how they have ensured that their practice as a physiotherapist is appropriate and culturally safe in the Aotearoa | New Zealand context.
Instruction on how to submit these documents will be provided to you directly.
When are you required to submit your evidence to the Board?
Practitioners will be requested to provide information in groups based on their registration date. You will be emailed if you are required to provide this information.
Please do not submit information if you have not been asked to do so, as it will not be assessed and may raise concerns that you do not understand the requirements of this recerticification programme.
What happens if I do not comply?
Practitioners who do not complete the recertification programme in the specified time, or whose responses raise concerns, may be referred to the Registrar or Board for further action.