Building a pathway for advanced practice physiotherapy
Chloe_Pigneguy
Fri, 10/30/2026 – 06:00
Advanced practice physiotherapists are an integral part of how Australians access care and I am proud to announce the introduction of an advanced practice physiotherapy titling evidence portfolio pathway pilot, which recognises their work in a formal and nationally consistent way.
These physiotherapists work in highly autonomous roles – often in hospital emergency departments and specialist screening services – assessing and managing patients with complex or undiagnosed conditions. They help ease the pressure on emergency departments and ensure people receive the right care sooner.
Until now, there has not been a consistent way to recognise this area of practice.
Through the Australian College of Physiotherapists, the APA has worked over several years to develop a formal and nationally consistent pathway for recognising advanced practice physiotherapists.
Throughout this project, we have relied on an expert working group made up of experienced advanced practice physiotherapists from across Australia.
I would like to thank and acknowledge the hard work of Patrick Swete Kelly, Bridget Shaw AM, Katherine Maka OAM, Pippa Flanagan, Kirby Tuckerman and Maree Raymer, the Advanced Practice (including Emergency Department) national group chair. Before this pathway, credentialing and recognition varied significantly between workplaces and states.
Building on the APA’s National Advanced Practice Physiotherapy Competency Framework, published in 2024, the pathway seeks to establish a national benchmark for advanced practice physiotherapy, strengthen the career pathway, give employers confidence in practitioner capability and align recognition processes with the framework.
The pilot also reflects the aims set out in the education pillar of our strategic plan, Towards 2030 – specifically, our commitment to supporting physiotherapists in career-long learning journeys across a range of specialist areas.
Seventeen advanced practice physiotherapists are taking part in the pilot program, which commenced in October and will run until late 2027.
These physiotherapists work in public health emergency departments and musculoskeletal outpatient screening clinics across Australia. We hope to institute other titling opportunities for physiotherapists working in advanced practice clinical settings outside of musculoskeletal physiotherapy in the future.
The pathway has three phases. Candidates first submit an application, then provide an evidence portfolio that includes a cultural capability reflection and a critical reflection, and finally do an online viva voce.
Those who meet every requirement are awarded the APA Titled Advanced Practice Physiotherapist credential, with assessment outcomes ratified through the Australian College of Physiotherapists’ governance processes.
The purpose of the pilot is to test, evaluate and refine the pathway prior to wider implementation.
We will gather feedback from candidates, assessors and stakeholders throughout this process.
The pilot adapts the College’s existing evidence portfolio pathways and introduces new components designed specifically for advanced practice, including mandatory workplace-based assessments and the online viva voce.
As well as testing the assessment model, the pilot will examine how the process works in practice, including consistency of assessment, assessor calibration, candidate experience and the usability of the online portfolio platform.
Advanced practice is a growing area that has not previously been formally recognised. This pathway acknowledges the work these physiotherapists do and offers them a clear way to have it recognised.
I look forward to sharing what we learn.
In the feature article, Melissa Mitchell talks to members of the expert working group about how the National Advanced Practice Physiotherapy Competency Framework and the titling pathway came to be and their impact on physiotherapists working in emergency departments and screening clinics.
Check out our titling page to learn more about the pilot pathway.
Rob LoPresti
APA Chief Executive Officer
Profession
Clinical practice and scope
Workforce
Add Comment