in physiotherapy and rehabilitation at AUT are supporting the recent reduction in ACC levies, saying it will benefit the profession and help address the increasing health demands of an ageing population.

Earlier this week ACC Minister Nick Smith announced that government will cut ACC levies by $587M a year after its clamp down on claims. This means from April next year employers will have their annual levies cut by up to $247M. Employees will see a reduction of up to $340M in levies.

Dr Peter Larmer, Head of Physiotherapy at AUT University, says the reduction in ACC levies should be commended. "There are a number of factors stated by ACC that have contributed to this reduction including greater return to work rates and a reduction in physiotherapy costs."

According to the Government's Health Workforce New Zealand, who lead planning and development of the country's health and disability sector, there should be increased emphasis placed on rehabilitative therapy where physiotherapists and musculoskeletal management plays a lead.

"In particular they note that 'physiotherapists and GPs with a special interest should be up-skilled so they are able to examine and conservatively treat many musculoskeletal disorders that are presently being seen by specialists," says Larmer.

Associate Professor Duncan Reid, Head of Rehabilitation and Occupation Studies at AUT University says the reduction in ACC funding to physiotherapy has also required the profession to change focus and work more closely with other areas of health provision such as complex and chronic disease and other health providers .

"While the reduction in physiotherapy costs has put pressure on the profession there have been a number of positive aspects to this. Patients accessing services have hopefully seen an increase in the quality of the service, improved return to work statistics and greater commitment to patient buy in to the rehabilitation programmes.

"In New Zealand, there will be an ongoing demand for physiotherapy and rehabilitative therapy in general, due to the fact we have an increasing ageing population. An ageing population means increased chronic health problems and physiotherapy/rehabilitative therapies are an essential component required to address this issue. "

The ability of the profession to engage with larger health issues such as diabetes, obesity, cardiovascular disease and arthritis will need to increase. Larmer says that the pressure on private practice ACC funded work has meant practices have had to think about working differently, engaging with PHO's and the community at large to design programmes that do not necessarily attract government funding.

"The values the public place on physiotherapy will only be further enhanced if the rehabilitation field is expanded beyond ACC," he says.