AHPA: Year in Review 2023

AHPA’s key objectives are to:

About AHPA

AHPA is the recognised national peak association representing Australia’s allied health professions. AHPA advocates for the important role of allied health professionals in health care, mental health, aged care, disability, education, rehabilitation, social services and more.

Allied health professionals make up the second largest workforce in Australia’s healthcare system. However, this is not reflected proportionally in government policy development nor investment in allied health workforce and services.

AHPA and its members are committed to increasing access to allied health services and recognition of the essential role those services play in supporting health outcomes.

Advocate for better access to allied health services to drive better consumer outcomes.

Lead and support a strong member collaborative to grow the voice of allied health.

Develop a sustainable resource base to support the growing allied health industry.

Chair Report

The past year has been marked by notable achievements that have advanced our organisation’s mission and elevated the allied health sector.

Our collective advocacy efforts have yielded significant outcomes across digital health, disability, aged, and primary care. Ongoing healthcare reforms and funding constraints have required us to advocate vigorously for the recognition and support of allied health professions.

I am optimistic about the future of allied health and remain committed to driving positive change and innovation in healthcare delivery.

Key priorities for the upcoming year include:

Workforce Development

Investing in the development and retention of allied health professionals will be paramount in meeting the evolving needs of our communities and addressing workforce challenges;

Advocacy and Policy Influence:

We will continue to advocate for policies and reforms that recognize the value of allied health professions

Collaboration and Partnerships:

Strengthening collaborations with government agencies, academia, and industry partners will be essential in driving collective action and innovation. By working together, we can address shared challenges and opportunities more effectively

Technology and Innovation:

Embracing technology and innovation will be a key enabler to allied health working within multidisciplinary teams, especially within rural and remote settings.

The small team at AHPA work tirelessly to achieve a better health system for all Australians and an optimised allied health workforce. I thank Bronwyn Morris-Donovan for her extraordinary leadership and vision and celebrate the hard work and commitment of the AHPA team during a year full of reforms, changes and consultations.

I extend my appreciation to our Directors for their support, invaluable assistance, and relentless pursuit of a brighter future for allied health.

I wish to particularly acknowledge the leadership of Anita Hobson-Powell, Nello Marino and Gail Mulcair for their steadfast dedication to AHPA, their profound impact on the broader allied health sector, and their years of contribution to the AHPA Board. Their commitment and expertise have been instrumental in steering our organisation towards enduring success.

I thank the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care and acknowledge their support through the Health Peak Bodies and Advisory Program funding.

And finally, I extend my sincerest thanks to our member organisations. Their support, engagement, and contributions have been invaluable in shaping the direction and impact of AHPA. Together, we are stronger, and we are grateful for their ongoing commitment to our shared goals.

Antony Nicholas Chair, AHPA Board of Directors

CEO Report

It is a privilege to represent more than 200,000 individual allied health care professionals across Australia and their peak associations.

This past year has been marked by considerable health, aged care and disability reform with variable inclusion of allied health in these budget measures. At times this caused frustration for both the AHPA team and our members. While we know the value proposition for allied health is high, this needs to be reinforced at the Commonwealth level, where culture still drives policy. The long-standing influence of general practice and persistent under investment in allied health continues to impact policy decisions. Despite the significant 2023 reform agenda, allied health was consistently on the periphery or often overlooked.

Looking ahead AHPA will continue to advocate for the important contribution of allied health in responding to the increasing demand of chronic and complex conditions. The Scope of Practice Review provides an opportunity to demonstrate the value of the allied health workforce when working to full scope. While it can be a competitive environment there needs to be room for all peaks to use their voice and advocate for individual professional scope.

For AHPA there is often a tension between balancing the priorities of individual professionals and the needs of the sector as a whole. AHPA’s role is to advocate for the collective by sharing informed, evidence-based policy advice. While progress can be slow, gradually the sector is coalescing as a collective. I am optimistic the sector can remain coordinated to achieve the rightful inclusion of allied health in all reform agendas.

It has been pleasing to see the expansion of the AHPA working groups to support development of shared policy submissions. The high engagement from member organisations has provided the foundation for a shared understanding of the broader issues facing the allied health workforce. Our working groups are the backbone of AHPA’s policy advice and ensure we maintain strong connections to all disciplines. My thanks to all contributors for their clinical guidance and considered expertise.

I’d like to acknowledge the small but mighty AHPA team for their commitment to advancing the allied health sector. My thanks to AHPA Chair, Antony Nicholas for his stewardship of AHPA, generosity and deep expertise. I would also like to acknowledge out-going allied health sector leaders, Anita Hobson-Powell, Gail Mulcair and Nello Marino. Each of these individuals has shaped AHPA into the association it is today.

I look forward to continuing to unite the sector to advance and amplify the voice of allied health.

Bronwyn Morris-Donovan Chief Executive Officer and Company Secretary

Highlights

Secured funding from the Australian Digital Health Agency (the Agency) to support the allied health specific program of work, including increased connections to the My Health Record and uptake of Provider Connect Australia (PCA)

Funding from the Agency to establish the Allied Health Digital Health Reference Group to inform design of the allied health digital program of work

AHPA was awarded a $150,000 TAC Value-Based Health Care (VBHC) Grant in collaboration with the Patient Experience Agency to create a replicable, scalable model of VBHC for allied health professionals

Participated in the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce and influenced outcomes such as the $6.1million budget measure to increase allied health My Health Record connections

AHPAs advocacy on legislation to establish an Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill, contributed to amendments improving systemic accountability, and our policy work was reflected in the IGAC Progress Report on Commonwealth Government Implementation of the Royal Commission recommendations

Continued advocacy for allied health providers by responding to the Independent Review of the NDIS, the NDIS Review on the role of pricing and payment approaches in improving participant outcomes and NDIS sustainability

The Annual AHPA Policy & Advocacy Symposium held in Melbourne last October brought together more than 70 member representatives to discuss the challenges facing our sector, including using big data to inform policy and First Nations equity in aged care

AHPA appointed to the Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce - Scope of Practice Review Expert Advisory Committee

AHPA representation as special advisor on the National Women’s Health Advisory Council

AHPA Chief Executive Officer Bronwyn Morris-Donovan appointed to the Jobs and Skills Council, Health Industry Advisory Committee

Advocacy

Digital Health

In 2023 AHPA focused on strengthening AHPA’s digital advocacy with the aim of achieving a dedicated allied health program of work within the Australian Digital Health Agency (the Agency).

In 2023 AHPA secured a contract with the Agency until June 2025 to support implementation of the allied health program of work.

In response to the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce recommendations, AHPA worked with the Agency throughout 2023 to inform and assist on an allied health specific program of work. AHPA convened a time-limited Allied Health Digital Health Reference Group to guide allied health digital strategy. The reference group focused on the specific task of connecting the health system and providing more efficient, personalised, and precise health care delivery via Australia’s My Health Record (MHR) system.

Over the course of a 3-part meeting series from March to May 2023 the group determined the work and sequence of work to ensure that allied health clinical information is available in My Health Record.

AHPA continued to provide strategic and detailed input to a variety of established groups driven by the Agency, including:

• National Secure Messaging Network

• Aged Care Digital Advisory Group

• Council for Connected Care

• Clinical Reference Group (CRG)

Moving forward AHPA are working with the Agency and member organisations in the key areas of:

• Gaining a deeper understanding of allied health professionals’ current awareness of and connection with Agency digital products

• My Health Record integration

• Provider Connect AustraliaTM

• Education development and provision

In addition, AHPA continued to grow relationships across the digital ecosystem and are beginning to collaborate with organisations such as the CSIRO and Australasian Institute of Digital Health.

Aged Care

The juggernaut of aged care policy development and implementation continued in 2023, with many non-profit organisations struggling to maintain an effective voice.

In 2023 AHPA built on previous work and expanded our advocacy. AHPAs Aged Care Brief, ‘What is needed for quality allied health in Australian aged care?’ published in March and updated in October as ‘Ensuring quality allied health services in aged care’, was the basis for ongoing meetings and correspondence with the Department of Health and Aged Care (DOHAC), the Independent Hospital and Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA) and the newly established Inspector-General of Aged Care (IGAC).

AHPA continued to emphasise that allied health care must be a core funded component of aged care, not an optional extra that only the wealthy can afford. As identified by the Royal Commission, allied health has been significantly underprovided in aged care for years, and this appears to be getting worse. In November 2023

AHPA analysed and published the results of our second Aged Care Working Group’s survey, led by Occupational Therapy Australia, of allied health providers about their experiences of working in residential aged care since the introduction of the Australian National Aged Care Classification tool.

Concerning themes included:

Half of respondents indicated their role had changed with almost one in five of those having lost their role and 48% had their hours decreased

50% experienced changes to their clinical team structure, with 90% of those seeing the number of allied health professionals (AHPs) decrease and about one third experiencing a decrease in the number of allied health assistants (AHAs)

32% of respondents were aware of instances where AHAs were assigned roles/duties when those should have been undertaken by AHPs, or where the AHA was not adequately supervised

32% of respondents knew of instances where personnel from outside allied health were inappropriately assigned allied health clinical roles/duties

Most alarmingly, 38% of survey respondents said they did not intend to keep working in residential aged care. Our professionals made many profound comments about their experiences of deterioration in the safety and quality of care for residents, and often despaired for the future of allied health in residential aged care

Over 2023 AHPA produced numerous submissions, papers and commentary on topics including the Aged Care Quality Standards, assessment in home care, possible funding mechanisms for the aged care system, residential aged care costing methodology and aged care system regulation.

AHPA continued to be an active member of the National Aged Care Alliance and in 2023 joined the Alliance’s First Nations Strategic Priority Working Group and Sustainability and Funding Strategic Priority Working Group. We have been pursuing stronger connections with entities as diverse as the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Ageing and Aged Care Council, the Australian Council of Deans of Health Sciences and various aged care researchers.

The value of our work this year is demonstrated by the increased profile of allied health in the National Aged Care Alliance, and our new memberships of IHACPA’s Stakeholder Advisory Committee and Interim Aged Care Working Group, and DOHAC’s Residential Aged Care Funding Reform Working Group.

AHPAs advocacy on legislation establishing the IGAC, contributed to amendments improving systemic accountability, and our policy work was reflected in the IGAC Progress Report on Commonwealth Government Implementation of the Royal Commission recommendations.

Disability

It was a difficult year for allied health professionals providing NDIS services. Following the Government announcement of its intention to hold future increases in the cost of the NDIS to 8%, allied health providers continued to be blamed by some media for ‘price gouging’ in comparison to consumer charges under other schemes. AHPA and our members have had to explain to various entities and media why this is simply incorrect.

The NDIA released its pricing update in response to its annual review, with allied health service prices for the fourth year in a row failing to even be indexed. This was despite substantial evidence provided by AHPA and large therapy support providers with whom we are increasingly collaborating.

For most of the year, key aspects of NDIS policy were on hold while the independent NDIS Review progressed, and we still await Government response to the Disability Royal Commission. AHPA and our members attended consultations with and made several submissions to the Review, including on future pricing and payments. Through this engagement we emphasised that although allied health providers are trained professionals, NDIS decision makers continue to regularly refuse to trust our clinical judgment and so dispute the amounts and types of therapy supports requested by participants for their plans.

In late 2023 we largely supported the Review’s Final Report recommendations, which include developing a new category of ‘foundational supports’, strengthening access to the Scheme based on significant functional impairment rather than medical diagnoses, and expansion of the quality and safeguard framework to include other disability supports and ensure a greater focus on quality services.

However, the ‘devil will be in the detail’ of Government responses to the recommendations, and allied health must be centrally involved in design and implementation. If the NDIS is to genuinely become a more person-centred scheme, the culture of the National Disability Insurance Agency has to change, including recognising and respecting the expertise of allied health professionals. The Agency and Government also must prioritise collaboration with allied health peaks to plan and meet future workforce needs.

Primary Care

The year was marked by significant primary care reform with the Strengthening Medicare Taskforce report released in February 2023, detailing the most pressing investments needed in primary care and building on the direction outlined in Australia’s Primary Health Care 10 Year Plan 2022–2032. The allied health sector was represented on the Taskforce by AHPA Chair, Antony Nicholas.

The 2023 – 2024 Federal Budget included investment of $6.1 billion to deliver a suite of primary care reform initiatives. This included Primary Health Network (PHN) Commissioning of multidisciplinary teams with a total funding pool of $79.4 million for commissioning of allied health and nursing services in small or solo general practices. The initiative sat alongside the existing Workforce Incentive Program (WIP) – Practice Stream.

AHPA invested significant advocacy effort in 2023, engaging with the Commonwealth Minister for Health, the Department of Health and Aged Care, key primary care stakeholders, and the government implementation programs associated with the Budget initiatives. This included the development and expansion of Urgent Care Clinics, the Frequent Hospital Users Program and design of the PHN Commissioning program. In each case, AHPA sought to constructively support the Budget initiatives and advocate for allied health inclusion.

AHPA continued to focus on advocating for inclusion of allied health in the primary care reform agenda. Over the course of 2023 it became clear that allied health remained on the periphery with limited focus on improving consumer access to allied health services.

In 2023 AHPA joined the PHN Implementation Framework Group to support implementation of the PHN Allied Health budget measures including development of a PHN Allied Health Toolkit (due for completion in 2024). AHPA has developed strong relationships with a number of individual PHNs providing a strong foundation for further engagement and potential new funding initiatives in 2024.

AHPA worked constructively with the then Chief Allied Health Officer, Anne-Marie Boxall. Following her secondment, the vacant CAHO role proved problematic for AHPA and the broader allied health sector with a loss of government momentum and engagement with allied health.

Looking to 2024 AHPA plans to:

• Advocate for the appointment of a Commonwealth Chief Allied Health Officer

• Re-establish dedicated Primary Care and Rural and Remote Working Groups

• Advocate for allied health in the Unleashing the Potential of our Health Worforce – Scope of Practice Review

• Foster deeper connections with PHNs via the PHN Implementation Framework Group

• Advocate for the inclusion of allied health in the Frequent Hospital Users Program

• Support development of the PHN Allied Health Toolkit

• Support and guide implementation of the budget measure commissioning of multidisciplinary teams

Workforce

Despite allied health being the second largest health workforce in Australia, there is no national allied health workforce strategy and no comprehensive accurate picture of all the settings, sectors and locations in which allied health professionals work. A national strategy informed by data is needed to develop quality workforce planning, sustainability and service modelling for allied health services across all health and care sectors.

In 2023, AHPA invested in a workforce data collection to identify the location of AHPA member allied health professionals across Australia. The first phase to the project created a dataset of de-identified members’ workforce data.

The completed dataset provides, as a minimum, data to identify the location of AHPA member allied health professionals across Australia, by place of principal practice or residence and anonymised for privacy.

Submissions and Advocacy Activity

February

• Submission on Exposure Draft of the Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill 2022

• Letter to Dr Mike Freelander MP: Implementation strategies for long and repeated COVID in the Australian community

May

• Australian Allied Health Leadership Alliance position statement: Allied health assistants

• NDIS Review on Quality and Safeguarding response

March

• Aged Care brief: What is needed for quality allied health in Australian aged care?

April

• Submission: NDIS Annual Pricing Review 2022-2023 Consultation

• Letter to Jim Chalmers MP: Application of GST to allied health professions

August

• Submission to Independent Review of the National Disability Insurance Scheme What We Have Heard NDIS Review Interim Report

• Submission to Inquiry into Diabetes

• Submission to Aged Care Taskforce

June

• Submission to Consultation on A New Model for Regulating Aged Care

• AHPA Response table for implementation report on Royal Commission recommendations

September

• Submission to Consultation on A New Aged Care Act –The foundations (Consultation paper No. 1)

• Submission to Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority on Consultation Paper on the Pricing Framework for Australian Residential Aged Care Services 2024–25

July

• Submission to Independent NDIS Review Consultation Paper on the Role of Pricing and Payment Approaches in Improving Participant Outcomes and Scheme Sustainability (May 2023)

October

• Better access – sharing pathology and diagnostic imaging reports to My Health Record by default

• Unleashing the Potential of our Health Workforce –Scope of Practice Review

• Policy Brief: Ensuring quality allied health services in aged care – What needs to change?

Representation

Primary and preventive health

• Strengthening Medicare Taskforce

• Expert Advisory Committee for the Scope of Practice Review

• Frequent Hospital Users Program

• Primary Health Network Implementation Framework Group

• Allied Health Industry Reference Group

• Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Communities Health Advisory Group

• DVA Providers Forum

• DSS Stakeholder Consultative Group

• Migrant and Refugee Health Council

• AIHW: Primary Healthcare Advisory Committee (PHAC)

• Services Australia (MBS)

• National Women’s Health Advisory Council – Special Advisor

Aged Care

• Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC): Aged Care Clinical Standards Advisory Committee

• Independent Health & Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA): Interim Aged Care

Working Group

• Independent Health & Aged Care Pricing Authority (IHACPA): Stakeholder Advisory Committee

• Residential Aged Care Funding Reform Working Group

• National Aged Care Alliance

Digital health

• Aged Care Advisory Group

• National Secure Messaging Network Governance Committee

• NHSD Data Governance Steering Committee

• ADHA Connected Care Council

• ADHA Aged Care Integration Working Group (associated with Aged Care Advisory Group in Digital Health Agency)

• Australian Institute of Digital Health –AIDH Clinical Informatics Fellowship Program Development Clinical Advisory Group

• Clinical Reference Group –Faster access to diagnostic imaging and pathology reports in My Health Record

Disability

• Autism Health Roadmap Working Group

• Cognitive Disability Roadmap Implementation Governance Group (RIGG)

• Cognitive Impairment Advisory Group

• Disability & Health Sector Consultation Committee

• National Assistive Technology Alliance

• NDIS CICC Research to Practice Steering Group

• NDIA Industry Reference Group

• NDIS National Mental Health Sector Reference Group

• PACE Advisory Group

Public health

• IHACPA: Classifications Clinical Advisory Group

• IHACPA: Clinical Advisory Committee

• IHACPA: Non admitted Care Advisory Working Group

• IHACPA: Sub-acute Care Working Group

Quality standards

• Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC):

Primary Care Committee

• Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC):

General Practice Accreditation Coordinating Committee

• Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS)

• Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC):

Cognitive Advisory Impairment Group

• Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care (ACSQHC):

Primary and Community Healthcare Advisory Committee

COVID-19

• COVID-19 Disability Advisory Committee

• COVID-19 Primary Care Response Group

General

• Jobs and Skills Council – Health Industry Advisory Committee

Working Groups

AHPA’s working groups focus on key policy areas and provide critical ongoing input into AHPA’s advocacy activities. Chaired by AHPA’s senior policy advisors, working groups include member representatives with expertise in specific areas including association policy staff, academics and practitioners with relevant experience.

In 2023, the collaboration within the working groups went from strength to strength and informed AHPA’s consultation responses in the following areas:

• Aged Care Working Group

• Inspector-General of Aged Care Bill 2022

• Aged Care Quality Standards

• Assessment in home care

• Possible funding mechanisms for the aged care system

• Residential aged care costing methodology

• Aged care system regulation 10 meetings

Digital Health Working Group

Following on from the work of the Reference Group, AHPA established an ongoing Digital Health Working Group. This group comprises a representative from each AHPA member and inputs discipline-specific knowledge to support the Australian Digital Health Agency’s ongoing program of work and shares relevant information to allied health practitioners.

• Disability Working Group

• NDIS Review

• NDIS Annual Pricing Review

• NDIS Pricing & Future Payments

• NDIS Quality and Safeguarding Framework 11 meetings

• Allied Health Digital Health Reference Group

• Determined the sequence of work to infor the Allied Health Program of work

Time-limited 3 meetings March–May

• Better access – sharing pathology and diagnostic imaging reports to My Health Record by default 3 meetings (October onwards)

In 2024 AHPA will re-establish dedicated Primary Care and Rural and Remote Working Groups.

Policy Symposium 12 October 2023

The Annual Policy Symposium was once again a highlight of the AHPA calendar. The theme for 2023 was ‘Meeting the Challenges Ahead’ and more than 70 member representatives joined the AHPA team in Melbourne to discuss the key issues facing our sector.

Master of ceremonies Duncan Armstrong OAM OLY, former Olympic swimming champion, kept the day pacy with his thoughtful and entertaining style.

Memorable sessions included First Nations equity in aged care and allied health with insightful presentations from Samara Rodway from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Aged and Aged Care Council, and Paul Gibson from Indigenous Allied Health Australia. This was followed by a terrific audience discussion facilitated by Deputy CAHO Daniel Roitman.

Also of particular interest to members was Using big-data to drive evidence-based policy with five presentations that helped the sector understand the importance of digital health technology adoption for improved consumer outcomes and access to data which can reliably inform policy decisions, improve research and demonstrate the effectiveness of service delivery.

We thank all presenters for sharing their expertise and insights and look forward to gathering as a sector in October 2024.

AHPA Membership

AHPA Membership Summary

AHPA welcomed the Australasian Association and Register of Practicing Nutritionists as an Ordinary member in 2023. We also welcomed three new Affiliate members being Play Therapy Practitioners Association, Massage and Myotherapy Australia and the Association of Massage Therapists Ltd. This has brought AHPA’s total membership numbers to 27 Ordinary Members and 14 Affiliates.

Please note there here has been a pause on affiliate membership admissions from October 2023 while AHPA undertakes a membership structure review.

Affiliate members

• Association of Massage Therapists

• Australian Pacific Play Therapy Association

• Australian Society of Rehabilitation Counsellors

• Australasian Lymphology Association

• Australian Counselling Association

• Australian Hand Therapy Association

• Australian Society of Dermal Clinicians

• Dance Movement Therapy Association of Australasia

• Dental Hygienists Association of Australia

• Hearing Aid Audiology Society of Australia

• Massage and Myotherapy Australia

• Myotherapy Association Australia

• Play Therapy Practitioners Association

• Spiritual Health Association

Ordinary members

• Audiology Australia

• Australasian Association and Register of Practicing Nutritionists

• Australasian College of Paramedic Practitioners

• Australasian Society of Genetic Counsellors

• Australian and New Zealand College of Perfusionists

• Australian Association of Psychologists Inc

• Australian Association of Social Workers

• Australian Chiropractors Association

• Australian Diabetes Educators Association

• Australian Music Therapy Association

• Australian Orthotic Prosthetic Association

• Australian Physiotherapy Association

• Australian Podiatry Association

• Australian Psychological Society

• Australian Society of Medical Imaging and Radiation Therapy

• Australian, New Zealand and Asian Creative Arts Therapies Association

• Chiropractic Australia

• Dietitians Australia

• Exercise and Sports Science Australia

• Occupational Therapy Australia

• Optometry Australia

• Orthoptics Australia

• Osteopathy Australia

• Pedorthic Association of Australia

• Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia

• Rehabilitation Counselling Association of Australasia

• Speech Pathology Australia

Governance

In 2023 the Board farewelled AHPA Deputy Chair, Anita-Hobson Powell, Gail Mulcair and Finance and Audit Committee Chair, Nello Marino. The Board and AHPA team wish to thank Anita, Gail and Nello for their long-standing commitment to allied health and the progression of AHPA. Each of these individuals has contributed an enormous amount to the sector over many years. AHPA is all the richer for their genuine desire to foster collaboration for the advancement of the whole sector.

The AHPA Board welcomed new Director, Skye Cappuccio, at the May AGM. Skye is the Chief Executive Officer at Optometry Australia and brings deep expertise in health policy and advocacy and senior management experience across non-government organisations.

AHPA welcomed Bridgit Hogan to the role of Governance and Risk Committee Chair, and Antony Nicholas was retained as Board Chair.

Board of Directors

Antony Nicholas AHPA Chair

Anita Hobson-Powell Deputy Chair

Chair - Governance & Risk Committee (Until May 2023)

Skye Cappuccio Director (from May 2023)

Amy Cooper Independent Director, Member - Finance & Audit Committee

Catriona Davis-McCabe Director, Member - Governance & Risk Committee (from May 2023)

Kate Dempsey MemberFinance & Audit Committee

Annie Hayward Independent Director, Governance & Risk Committee

Bridgit Hogan Member - Governance & Risk Committee

Chair - Governance & Risk Committee (From May 2023)

Nella Marino ChairFinance and Audit Committee

Gail Mulcair Director, Member - Governance and Risk Committee (until April 2023)

Bronwyn Morris-Donovan Chief Executive Officer and Company Secretary

Financial Report

1. Revenue Sources: AHPA’s funding primarily comes from membership fees and grant funds received from the Australian Government’s Health Peak and Advisory Bodies Program (HPAB). This revenue is utilised to support key advocacy priorities and specific peak body deliverables. Additionally, 2023 saw growth in membership income due to increased membership numbers in the Affiliate membership category.

2. Project Funding and Partnerships: The Australian Digital Health Agency provided funds to undertake project work aligning with AHPA’s advocacy for the inclusion and integration of allied health into My Health Record. A small NDIS grant (2022–2025) was also received to support allied health professionals in registration. However, partnership income reduced as AHPA focused on ensuring that partnerships align with its core business. AHPA finished the year with two partners: HR Advice Online, and BMS Risk Solutions.

3. Retained Earnings and Financial Position: AHPA’s retained earnings of $596,188 (compared to $578,728 in 2022) position the organisation comfortably to continue providing strong representation for allied health professions across all sectors and settings.

4. Surplus Result and Audited Financial Statements: The Audited Financial Statements show a net surplus after tax of $17,460 (compared to a deficit of $13,482 in 2022). This variance is primarily due to AHPA entering into a new grant agreement with The Australian Digital Health Agency (2023–2025) and improved interest income providing better than expected revenue.

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the financial support provided by the Department of Health and the continued support of AHPA member organisations, which has enabled AHPA to deliver against system-wide advocacy priorities.

Special thanks to current Finance and Audit Committee member, Kate Dempsey, and outgoing FAC Chair, Nello Marino, for their significant contributions.

We also acknowledge the dedication and hard work of the AHPA staff who have supported the Finance and Audit Committee and the organisation as a whole.

Amy Cooper Chair, Finance & Audit Committee

Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA)