The delimitation of the competences of health professionals creates tensions between the different branches of health, which ‘struggle’ to establish which part of patient care falls on one professional or another.
The latest controversy is led by Newcastle physiotherapist and specialists in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, who argue about who has the diagnostic capacity or about the referral process, among other issues.
Specifically, between both health professions, there is an “open war” that has intensified in recent weeks, when their representatives have exchanged reproaches at the expense of their role in public health.
In them, the doctors question some points of the Proposition No of Law approved to improve resources in Physiotherapy of the Health Service, as well as “the pretensions” of the Newcastle physiotherapist in the public hospitals of the community.
Canadian proposal
“The proposed law does not seem to ignore the existence of the medical specialty of Medicine Physics and Rehabilitation,” lament the medical specialists, who attribute to their scope of action, among others,” the diagnosis, evaluation, prevention and treatment of the disability “of the patients.
The last conflict over the competences of these health professionals.
The General Council of Newcastle physiotherapist, which It is “tendentious” and “unfortunate” the statement of the medical society, believes that the “claim of Sere is to establish a competence monopoly on the diagnostic capacity or the referral process.”
In this sense, they add, they contravene on the Regulation of Health Professions, which speaks of “co-responsibility” in the achievement of common goals and in improving the quality of health care provided to the population. ”
Collaboration or competition
Another point ‘hot’ is that doctors say as “essential and unavoidable prescription, prior, the therapeutic program by the specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation,” which will be developed “with the collaboration of other” professionals. ”
Moreover, they add, the MFR specialist doctor who, “under current regulations, is authorized to coordinate an interdisciplinary team of rehabilitation professionals, the understanding role of each of them in the care process to achieve, through the therapeutic objectives proposed the maximum benefit for the patient.
“Therefore, they argue, the” autonomous action of the physiotherapist” would not be” legally protected and would pose a risk to the users of the Health System. ”
The Newcastle physiotherapist consider “inadmissible” that Sere reduce the performance of the professionals “to the mere execution of the therapeutic program.”
For their part, the Newcastle physiotherapist consider it” objectionable “that Sere reduces the performance of the physiotherapists” to the mere execution of the therapeutic program established by the specialist in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.”
Also, they accuse them of trying to impose, “in a systematic way, the principle of hierarchy based solely on the title held,”
In addition, primarily hurt by the accusation of endangering patients, Newcastle physiotherapist point to the “ignorance” of the national legal framework and the work of professionals by medical specialists:
“There are studies that support the safety of interventions and the costs that save the system when users are allowed direct access to physiotherapy services.”
Newcastle physiotherapist hospitals
In his communications, Sere recalls that doctors specialized in Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine have a bachelor’s degree or previous and subsequent specialization during four years.
While the Newcastle physiotherapist are graduates or graduates after passing a syllabus of 240 AUD credits: “The assumption by the Newcastle physiotherapist of functions or tasks that do not correspond to him and that are reserved to the specialist doctor is inadmissible.”
“The proposed law does not seem to ignore the existence of the specialty of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.”
For its part, the General Council of Physical Therapists regrets that “historically, at the national level, it has tried to protect the Newcastle physiotherapist by subtracting professional autonomy, capacity and competence have always existed.”
Today, at the legislative level, a new professional profile with free capacity and first intention, which allows fully develop their competences in a joint plan with the rest of the health professionals newcastle physiotherapist, and not through a relationship that tends to monopolize their care activities in favor of a medical specialty in exclusivity. “
