2022/23 annual summary

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Registration

6,345 chiropractors
- Up 3.2% from 2021/22
- 0.7% of all registered health practitioners
325 first-time registrants

282 domestic (including new graduates)
43 international

0.6% identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander
42.0% female; 58.0% male

Age

Figure showing age groups of chiropractors. The biggest group is aged 25 to 34 years, then 35 to 44 years, then 45 to 54 years, with much smaller numbers over 55 and under 25 years.

Regulation

67 notifications lodged with Ahpra about 60 chiropractors
123 notifications about 106 chiropractors made Australia-wide, including HPCA and OHO data

1.7% of the profession Australia-wide

Sources of notifications

Pie chart showing that most notifications were raised by a patient, their relative or a member of the public. 13% were raised by another practitioner.

Most common types of complaints

Pie chart showing that the two most common types of complaints were clinical care and boundary violation.

Notifications closed

Pie chart showing that over half of the 103 notifications closed resulted in no further regulatory action. The most common regulatory actions were conditions imposed on registration, an undertaking accepted, a caution or a reprimand.

2 immediate actions taken
5 mandatory notifications received
- 4 about sexual misconduct
- 1 about impairment
42 practitioners monitored for health, performance and/or conduct during the year
15 criminal offence complaints made
6 notifications finalised at tribunal
No matters decided by a panel
No appeals lodged

A report from the Chair

Policy updates

The Chiropractic Board of Australia began a review of its Statement on paediatric care, which provides important guidance to chiropractors in caring for children. The Board also began a review of its Guidelines for clinical record keeping for chiropractors.

The Melbourne Centre for Behaviour Change, at the University of Melbourne, conducted research on behalf of the Board exploring chiropractors’ understanding of their advertising obligations. All chiropractors were invited to attend focus groups and participate in a survey. The Board thanks participants for their willingness to contribute and the valuable feedback received.

Stakeholder engagement

Face-to-face information forums were held in Perth and Adelaide, giving chiropractors an opportunity to engage with the Board.

The program of presentations by the Board to final-year students continued throughout the year to welcome them to the profession and to help them understand the expectations and requirements of registration. The Board recorded a video presentation welcoming new graduates to the profession.

The Board met regularly with its stakeholders and regulatory partners, including professional associations, the Chiropractic Council of New South Wales and the Council on Chiropractic Education Australasia. The Chair and Executive Officer visited with the New Zealand Chiropractic Board, which was an opportunity to exchange information about regulating the profession and discuss shared experiences.

Safety and quality standards

The Board built on planned initiatives to ensure the public continues to receive safe, competent and ethical care from chiropractors, and supported chiropractors to provide safe care. The Board was pleased to hold a forum for all chiropractors and key stakeholders in July on the National Safety and Quality Primary and Community Healthcare Standards.

Ms Kim Packham from the Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care addressed the forum and gave an overview of the new standards. Ms Packham then talked about clinical governance in the health system more broadly, its inception and its drivers; and spoke in more detail about some of the standards. Following the presentation, a panel of health practitioners and a consumer representative took questions from forum attendees on topics including accreditation of clinical governance frameworks in the professions where the accreditation exists; the potential financial costs of accreditation; and the importance of partnering with consumers. Videos and resource materials were published on the Board’s website.

Other news

The Board was pleased to announce a 15% reduction in the annual registration fee for chiropractors. Registration fees support the Board’s regulatory obligations and its continuing efforts to support and develop a safe and mobile Australian chiropractic workforce. The Board was able to significantly reduce fees while maintaining the standards that will ensure the community’s trust and confidence in the profession.

The Board farewelled Ms Kim Barker, community member of the Board, in April. We thank Ms Barker for her contribution and commitment to the regulation of the chiropractic profession during her time on the Board.

Dr Wayne Minter AM, Chair

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