Invited review: Regulation of New Zealand physiotherapists over the past 100 years

Abstract

Over the 100 years of physiotherapy in New Zealand there have been three pieces of legislation that have regulated physiotherapists. The first two acts, the Masseurs’ Registration Act 1920 and the Physiotherapy Act 1949 focussed largely on registration requirements and supported self-regulation in relation to the quality of clinical practice. The most significant changes in regulation of physiotherapists have occurred over the last 10 years following the introduction of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003. This generic piece of legislation, affecting all registered health professionals, places emphasis on: disciplinary processes, defining scopes of practice, and the need for continuing competence assurance. It also provides an enabling regulatory framework that could be used to develop a changing health workforce that adapts to the communities changing needs.