We were privileged to have Dr Harry McNaughton speak at the NZRA AGM this week.

This is what he talked about:

Most publicly-funded rehabilitation services in New Zealand and other 'western' countries adopt a professional-dominant approach, focusing on biomedical concerns, particularly trying to reduce impairments and improve simple activities. A broader context acknowledging the ideas of rehabilitation pioneers, the wishes of people living with the consequences of inherited or acquired disabling conditions, educational psychology and recent randomised trials for people after stroke suggest that the key to optimising outcomes of importance to the people themselves requires a focus on psychological concerns, particularly intrinsic motivation. Major questions remain. Timing, dose and duration of interventions? How to start changing practice? What about conditions with dominant cognitive and behavioral concerns like TBI and mental health conditions? This short talk provided the briefest of overviews of what we know so far and explore some of the ideas of where we may be heading. 

You can watch a recording of the session here: https://youtu.be/ICgebhT5pK0

You can also  download a copy of the PPT slides in PDF version

Harry's email:  harrymcn100@gmail.com

Take Charge website for all materials and articles: https://bit.ly/3ysp1KM

Rehab Conversation held on Monday, 31 July 2023

Session Recording & PPT slides

Steph's PPT slides in PDF format here 

Maree's PPT slides in PDF format here

Video recording of session: https://youtu.be/sY0oFtCn4cc

Kia ora koutou

Caroline Juinot, who is doing a great job liaising with NZRA on behalf of ACC, has forwarded the following information that may be of interest to you.

CONSULTATION: Cost of Treatment Regulations

ACC has opened a targeted consultation for the next round of changes to the Cost of Treatment Regulations (CoTR). The consultation is open from 3 April – 1 May.  

The Minister has requested that ACC run a targeted consultation on behalf of the Minister for ACC, with the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment (MBIE). Previously this has been an MBIE led process. The Minister's desire is to return to a bi-annual review and implementation cycle. 

That means that this year ACC is focused on delivering changes that can be applied quickly while collecting feedback on wider sector issues so that they can address these in future reviews. Their hope is that this will allow providers to realise the benefits from the proposed changes sooner.  

The consultation document: CoTR 2022 review - consult document.pdf

ACC would really appreciate your feedback on the proposal. They would also like to take the opportunity to encourage NZRA members to make submissions. 

ACC will also be sharing the consultation document with providers who have billed us under CoTR in the last year and through our Provider Update.

ACC like to acknowledge that the new changes for the previous review cycle came into effect on Saturday 1 April. The new pricing sheets are available on ACC's website

As always if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to get in touch with ACC directly. Otherwise, you can email cotr@acc.co.nz directly with submissions or pātai.

ACC are pleased to announce the Innovation Fund is returning for a second round!

Next month ACC be calling for proposals for innovative health service initiatives. This round ACC are offering contestable, one-off grants of up to $100,000 (incl. GST) to successful applicants.

This year ACC want to hear about your ideas on how whānau can be supported to stay connected, engaged and return to their workplace after an injury. Your proposal could focus on service design, systems, technology, equity, or improvements to a current process.  

For this fund ACC are not looking for research or injury prevention initiatives – they have other grants or project funding in place for these.

Your idea should be ready for implementation early 2024, without the need for ongoing support from ACC. It may need funding support to get it off the ground, or it could already be implemented but needs more funding support to get across the line. 

More details on what ACC are looking for and how to apply will come out in the May Provider Update [head to the link to subscribe to these emailed updates].

mailto:cotr@acc.co.nz

This statement has been provided by ACC, asking that we share the following, particularly with members with an interest in musculoskeletal and/or orthopaedics.These statements include the use of Xray and ultrasound imaging, as well as injections and knee arthroscopy treatments for ACC clients.

Tēnā koe,

As part of our commitment to delivering good outcomes for our clients, NZOA and ACC have collaborated on the Choosing Wisely campaign, which seeks to reduce unnecessary low-value treatments and tests for orthopaedic patients within New Zealand. 

We have created five statements for the Choosing Wisely campaign to promote a culture where clinicians avoid low-value and inappropriate interventions, as well as support patients and health professionals to have well-informed conversations about their treatment options, leading to better decisions and outcomes.

These five statements reflect current research, evidence, and clinical best practice in orthopaedics. The intent is that clients will only receive clinically appropriate procedures which are meaningful for a diagnosis and to inform their treatment plans.

These statements are now available on the Health Quality & Safety Commission website: https://www.hqsc.govt.nz/resources/choosing-wisely/recommendations-and-resources/for-clinicians/new-zealand-orthopaedic-association. I encourage you to take a moment to read it and consider what it means for your practice and how you work with our clients.      

We acknowledge there will be some differences in delivery based on several factors including geographic location, local expertise, and available equipment.

Acknowledgements

We’d like to thank NZOA and the genuine partnership we have created through this work. This collaboration is an example of our commitment for the benefit of providers and our clients. We would also like to thank RANZCR and others who worked with us on these statements for their valuable contributions. 

If you have any immediate queries, please contact Emma.O’loughlin@acc.co.nz.

Ngā mihi nui,

Dr John Robson

Head of Health Partnerships and Chief Clinical Officer for ACC

Last week ACC communicated with organisations who held contracts with them, advising them of rate increases ACC is applying following the Allied Health MECA settlement earlier this year.  A copy of the communication is below.  

If you have any questions please contact your ACC Portfolio Advisor, or Engagement and Performance Manager.  

Kia ora koutou, 

As you’ll be aware, in June a Multi-Employer Collective Agreement (MECA) was settled for Allied Health professionals. Next week we’ll issue you with contract variations including rate increases to reflect this.  

We’ve applied the MECA increase to the Allied Health worker pay band component of the relevant service codes in your contract. This is in addition to any increases provided within the last year, prior to the signing of the MECA.  

Each service code is made up of several components (e.g., pay bands, public holidays, administration, and overheads). The increase has been applied to the Allied Health worker wage components only.  

Some contracts will also receive increases related to other changes, including staff sick leave allowances and the Matariki public holiday, other relevant MECA settlements, and to allow for general inflation, where these changes have not been allowed for in previous variations. This means you’ll see different increases depending on which contract(s) you hold with us. 

Variations will be provided for the following contracts: 

Allied Health Services – Hand Therapy 

Allied Health Services – Physiotherapy services  

Allied Health Services – Podiatry 

Artificial Limb Services 

Burn & Scar Management 

Concussion Services 

Concussion – Secondary Proof of Concept 

Functional Capacity Evaluation  

Home and Community Support Services – Integrated (IHCS) 

Initial Occupational Assessment  

ISSC – Integrated Services for Sensitive Claims 

Living My Service 

Non-Acute Rehabilitation 

Non-Acute Rehabilitation Pathways  

Orthotist Services  

Pain Management Services 

Residential Support Services 

Services for the Blind/Visual Rehab Service 

Soc Rehab Asses - Social Rehabilitation Needs Assessment 

Soc Rehab Asses - Specialised Assistive Technology 

Soc Rehab Asses - Specialised Education (Support) 

Soc Rehab Asses - Specialised Housing (Modifications) 

Soc Rehab Asses - Specialised Wheelchair and Seating 

Soc Rehab Asses – Support Needs Assessment  

Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation Service  

Spinal Injury Vocational Services 

TBI Residential Rehabilitation Service 

Training for Independence - Adult with other injuries 

Training for Independence - Adults with sensitive claims 

Training for Independence - TBI 

Training for Independence - Children and Young People 

Training for Independence Advisory Services 

Vocational Independence Occupational Assessment 

Vocational Rehabilitation Services. 

We’re doing our best to get these contract variations to you as soon as possible. Please note that you will need to have received, signed, and returned your contract variation by 20 November 2022 to allow you to bill for any services delivered on or after 1 December 2022 at the new rates. 

You'll also need to update your invoicing systems to reflect the new rates. If you continue to bill at the old rates for services on or after 1 December 2022, we won’t be able to backpay the difference. 

If you have any questions about the changes to your contract, please contact your Portfolio Advisor or Engagement and Performance Manager (EPM). 

Ngā mihi  

ACC Recovery Services

Thanks for your patience while we work on transferring this year’s NZRA Conference to 2022. We are excited to announce the new conference dates as:

FRIDAY 1ST – SUNDAY 3RD APRIL 2022

The conference will still be held at the Novotel Hotel in Rotorua with the same conference format. All the information about the conference can be found on the conference website.

If you had registered for the conference, it will automatically be transferred over to the new dates. If these dates do not suit, please contact Brooke Miller brooke@conference.nz to cancel, and a refund will be organised. As advised in our earlier communication, we cancelled any accommodation booked through the registration process for the September dates. We have now secured some rooms at the Novotel for the new conference dates. Therefore, if you would like to rebook your accommodation please contact Rosanna Carleton rosanna@conference.nz.

If you are yet to register for the conference, we invite you to join us to participate in a national hui to discuss, debate, and share knowledge about rehabilitation in Aotearoa. We have extended the early bird registration fees to 31 December 2021 so don't delay and register today.

We look forward to you joining us in April 2022!

Dr Rachelle Martin
Conference Convenor

Professor William Levack
NZRA President

Given the recent changes in COVID Alert Levels, the NZRA Executive and the Conference Planning Committee has made the difficult decision to postpone the NZRA 2021 Conference, ‘Achieving Equity’, to be held in Rotorua, 17-19  September 2021.

In making this decision, we have considered: the low likelihood of New Zealand being in Alert Level 1 before 17 September; the challenges of hosting an in-person conference at other alert levels; the cost and impact of not postponing but moving to a fully online conference; the currently high workloads of health professionals in New Zealand; the core objectives of NZRA; and, most importantly, what option would give us the best chance to deliver a high value conference to attendees.

We are currently exploring options for when the conference can be held and will be in touch with you with more details by Friday 3 rd September.

We would also like to advise that anybody who booked accommodation via the registration process, Conference Innovators will cancel this and no cancellation fees will apply. If you booked your own accommodation, we would recommend that you make contact with the provider to cancel.

We are disappointed by the need to postpone what was shaping to be a very thought-provoking and inspiring conference. We are so very grateful for everyone’s willingness to share their insights and kōrero about achieving equity in rehabilitation within Aotearoa NZ.

We look forward to you joining us when we get the chance to gather again!

If you have any questions that require immediate attention, please email emma@conference.nz .

Otherwise, we will email you again soon with more details.

Thanks for your understanding.

Me mahi tahi tātou.

Rachelle Martin

Conference Convener

William Levack

NZRA President

Mahi Tika–Equity in Employment is a disabled-led employment programme developed by Disabled Persons Assembly (DPA) New Zealand.

The programme is delivered across the Waikato region in a project funded by Trust Waikato and Te Ara Mahi (TAM), a portion of the Provincial Growth Fund allocated to focus on regional skills and employment development with the aim of getting local people into sustained local employment.

Disabled people experience marginalisation and discrimination. However, they are resilient problem solvers with a wealth of skills and knowledge on offer.

Mahi Tika–Equity in Employment is designed and led by disabled people and includes large elements of pastoral care to empower participants and enable them to achieve sustainable employment

Prudence Walker, Chief Executive of DPA spoke about what it means to be chosen as a finalist.

This innovation will be presented at the conference and you will have an opportunity to vote for which innovation you think is most deserving of this year's award.

We have a fantastic line up of speakers at this year's conference. Here's a brief bio on each of them, so you can get a glimpse into the diverse group of contributors this year.

CATE GRACE [Kai Tahu, Kāti Mamoe, Waitaha]

Cate works as Person with Lived Experience Engagement Lead with the Burwood Academy Trust. She is the founder and kaiwhakahaere of Whānau Whanake, a community-based social enterprise supporting Māori and whānau health and wellbeing.

Cate also lives with the experience of disability and is involved in the governance of several disability advocacy and Māori organisations.

Cate’s passion is to increase accessibility and participation for those facing barriers, creating diverse and thriving places within our local communities and wider society.

JACQUIE KIDD

Jacquie is of Ngāpuhi, Irish and French descent and is an Associate Professor at the Auckland University of Technology. Her academic practice is focused on social justice, anti-racism and equity in health for Māori.

Generally, she takes a kaupapa Māori approach to her research, meaning that her projects are based on whānau strengths, community needs and local solutions to complex issues.

She has a particular interest in the use of creative methodologies of research dissemination and has had her poetry published in several academic journals and books.

JOSH CALDWELL [Pirirākau, Ngāti Ranginui]

When Josh is not providing peer support to people with newly acquired spinal cord injury, he works as a research assistant and as the Person with Lived Experience (PLEx) Network Coordinator for the Burwood Academy Trust.

Josh acquired his SCI in 2016 as a result of an autoimmune disease. Josh’s involvement with peer support research has allowed him to develop his research skills further while also ensuring that the resulting research findings are applicable to people who are learning to live well with a SCI and useable by peer support providers.

MARTIN CHADWICK

Martin is the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer within the Ministry of Health, working in partnership with the Chief Medical Officer and Chief Nursing Office in providing transdisciplinary clinical leadership and advice.

The role works at a systems level as well as providing support to clinicians, programmes, and projects across the Ministry. He is aligning a work programme around what he describes as the five challenges facing allied health. This includes the challenges of demonstrating the value add of the allied health professions to population health outcomes; and working towards the concept of transdisciplinary working in the provision of healthcare services. Martin was the 2019-20 New Zealand Harkness Fellow in Health Care Policy and Practice.

RUKINGI HAUPAPA

I am a Māori, have a big whānau (family), and belong to many. I was a teacher and an educator for many years but that disappereared when I suffered stroke in 2005. I could not talk or do anything for myself. Though people were all around me, I was terrified and felt alone.

My brain was damaged, but I knew enough to know that education could give me purpose, direction, and hope. There were educational achievements and successes, but the greatest was knowing who I am and who I belong to.

I am Rukingi, a stroke survivor.

DR SARAH GORDON

Sarah’s personal experience of mental illness shaped her university study with the areas of psychology, medical law, bioethics, and psychological medicine being the focus through to PhD level.

Combining this theoretical education and personal experience, Sarah has spent the last 20 years working and advocating for an improved mental health sector and societal perceptions of mental health from the perspective of a person who personally experiences mental illness.

Since 2011 Sarah has worked as a service user academic with the Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Otago. Through this role, she has promoted and progressed service user-led and co-produced education and research.

This work has resulted in the establishment of "World of Difference" – a service user academia education and research team, which Sarah currently leads. The education and research programs being led or co-produced by the World of Difference team are focused on ending discrimination, and promoting recovery, inclusion, and respect for the human rights of people who experience mental distress.

TIM YOUNG

Tim has a background in educational psychology, research, and app development. Tim works as a research assistant with the Burwood Academy, and is also a consultant to central and local governments on accessibility issues.

Tim focuses on using technology to solve accessibility issues after facing many accessibility issues in his own experiences as a tetraplegic.

Tim has a business, Smart Access, which collects and sells data on 35 accessibility variables to local governments to help better prioritise infrastructure spending. In his spare time, Tim is embarking on PhD studies!

Te Pou Aropā Takitoru has been announced as one of the finalists for this year's innovation award.

Te Pou Aropā Takitoru is a nation-wide coordinated peer support service providing informal support to those adapting to limb loss. It was officially launched in New Zealand in August 2019 in collaboration with Peke Waihanga, Limbs 4 Life and Amputees Federation of New Zealand reflected in its Māori name – Te Pou Aropā Takitoru.

The Pou symbolises the three organisations, Peke Waihanga, Amputee’s Federation of New Zealand (Inc) and Limbs 4 Life representing the three Pou supporting the wharenui.

The service offers pre/post-amputation, living with amputation and partner support from trained volunteers who have experienced limb loss themselves. The service Coordinator matches recipients to a peer support volunteer, conducts follow-up phone calls to evaluate the support provided and facilitates access to other support services as and when needed.

Matthew Bryson spoke to NZRA about being chosen as a finalist.

This innovation will be presented at the conference and you will have an opportunity to vote for which innovation you think is most deserving of this year's award.