What are allied health professionals? How do you access them in Australia?

Knowing about different allied health professionals and how to access them can make a difference to your health and wellbeing.

Physiotherapy is one of the many allied health professionals available in Australia. Credit: Dean Mitchell/Getty Images

Key Points

Allied health professionals work closely with a health-team to prevent, diagnose, and treat various conditions and illnesses.
Anyone is eligible to access allied health services, although access can be limited by a range of factors, including financial burden and lack of local services.
Medicare typically does not cover allied health care, with a few exceptions.

Allied health professionals are a diverse group of highly trained individuals with university qualifications. They are distinct from doctors, nurses, midwives and dentists but play a crucial role within healthcare teams by contributing to the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of various conditions and illnesses.

These professionals offer vital care to all age groups, including those dealing with chronic illnesses, mental health issues, and disabilities.

"The sector is incredibly diverse, and each profession plays a key role in the health and wellbeing of all those in Australia," CEO of Allied Health Professions Australia (AHPA), Bronwyn Morris-Donova, tells SBS.

"We are the second largest health workforce and deliver more than 200 million health services annually."

Access to Allied health

"Anyone is eligible to access allied health services, although access is severely limited by various factors, such as financial burden or lack of local services," Ms Morris-Donova explains.

Medicare typically does not cover allied healthcare services, with a few exceptions. People with chronic conditions (lasting for more than six months) or terminal medical conditions are eligible for up to five covered sessions under the

Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) Chronic Disease Management Plans

. These covered services include:

Speech pathology
Diabetes education
Audiology
Exercise physiology
Dietetics
Mental health services
Occupational therapy
Physiotherapy
Podiatry
Chiropractic services
Osteopathy

In addition, services are also available through the

Better Access Initiative

, for those diagnosed mental health condition. These services encompass:

Psychology
Occupational therapy
Social work

While patients can directly access allied health services without a referral, those utilising these services as part of their management plan or due to mental health conditions, as described above, will require a referral.

If you have private insurance, the cost of allied health, often referred to as 'extras,' may be partially covered depending on the specifics of your policy.

The Department of Health and Age Care advises users of allied health services to always verify fees with their providers before scheduling an appointment.

Is private health insurance worth it?

Key areas of practice

Allied health encompasses various facets of individual's health and can be

broadly divided

into aged care, chronic disease, disability, mental health, musculoskeletal health and rehabilitative care.

One of the common allied health that falls under rehabilitative care is physiotherapy.

Physiotherapists practice in diverse settings across Australia, including private practices, public and private hospitals, and community health centres. Additionally, many sports organisations collaborate closely with physiotherapists to support athlete's well-being.

Ann Fong is a senior physiotherapist in Port Adelaide.

Senior physiotherapists, Ann Fong Credit: Ann Fong

She says, in summary, physiotherapy involves the assessment, treatment, and rehabilitation of individuals experiencing pain or movement disorders.

Her patients often present with age-related and sports-related conditions, as well as work-related injuries. Physiotherapists also provide care to children dealing with injuries stemming from sports and physical activities.

"Traditionally, physios look at dealing with pain and injuries through hands-on treatment, physical exercise, rehabilitation, use of sports tape, support braces and electrotherapy equipment," Ms Fong explains.

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Chiropractors are allied health professionals specialising in the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of musculoskeletal system issues.

Their approaches can include hands-on techniques such as massages, stretches, and adjustments, as well as non-manual methods involving exercise prescriptions.

Dennice Perry has been practising chiropractic in Sydney for 35 years.

Dennice Perry, chiropractor with 35 years of experience Credit: Dennice Perry

She says, while most patients present themselves to the clinic due to pain, "you don't actually have to be in pain to see a chiropractor."

"Chiropractor aims to have your body functioning at 100%. You can come in and have a wellness check to ensure your body is functioning, so you don't get sick."

She adds that symptoms such as headaches, back pains, and sinusitis can manifest when your body is not operating at its optimal capacity.

"For those actively involved in sports, especially at an elite level, having a body functioning 100% means better performance and less chance of injury. "

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Allied health professionals also work with people experiencing disability to improve their overall health, wellbeing, and ability to engage in daily activities.

Sue Chung is a speech pathologist based in Perth.

She says, speech pathologists provide assessments and therapy for children and adults experiencing communication difficulties due to developmental delays, disabilities or injuries.

"Communication difficulty is not limited to speaking, and includes a huge range of challenges, like difficulty in pronunciation, understanding the language, reading, projecting the voice, stuttering, social skills, swallowing and feeding," she explains.

Sue Chung is a multilingual speech pathologist in Western Australia. Credit: Sue Chung

Ms Chung is a multilingual speech pathologist who can speak English, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Bahasa Melayu. She says when children speak more than one language, it is crucial to see if there is a delay in one or both languages before finding a service provider.

In cases where a language other than English is affected, seeking assistance from professionals who are proficient in that language is highly beneficial. She clarifies that these professionals can better understand the child and facilitate the process of supporting families, making it more manageable.

"It is important that families continue to work on the same goal. The more you collaborate with your speech therapist, the session becomes more efficient, which results in less sessions."

The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

is in the process of implementation nationwide, marking a shift where all services for individuals with disabilities will soon be funded through this scheme.