CDU’s new course to address NT’s shortage of physiotherapists

Charles Darwin University (CDU) is planning to address the shortage of physiotherapists in the Northern Territory by offering a master’s degree commencing in 2023.

With an ageing population and increasing morbidity associated with growing rates of chronic disease and injury, physiotherapists are in high demand across Australia.

The number of physiotherapists in Australia is projected to increase steadily over the next five years but this growth has not been matched in the NT.

The Northern Territory has the lowest number of physiotherapists per 100,000 population of any other state or territory in Australia with just 73.7. This is compared to the national average of 107.5 per 100,000 with the highest proportion 130 in the ACT.

College of Health and Human Science Dean Professor Dominic Upton said the new Masters of Physiotherapy program at CDU will fill workforce gaps and support industry and community needs.

“A Territory-based physiotherapy program will address the urgent need to grow the local physiotherapy workforce and improve health outcomes in Territory communities,” Professor Upton said.

“We’re focused tailoring the program to address the unique needs of rural and remote areas of the territory as well as targeting local students to fill important gaps in local service delivery.”

Professor Upton said in more remote locations, the challenge of attracting and retaining physiotherapists becomes more noticeable as remoteness increases, so CDU’s Physiotherapy program will offer supported placement experiences in rural and remote communities.

“The allied health workforce is significantly underrepresented, particularly in remote areas of the Northern Territory so it’s important that more physiotherapists are educated in rural and remote contexts,” he said.

Professor Upton said there will also be a focus on embedding Indigenous leadership at the forefront of the program.

“Providing a local program in the Territory will improve the attraction and retention of qualified practitioners in the NT, which will improve the quality and provision of allied health services.”

With physiotherapists highly sought after, there’s a range of diverse employment prospects for graduates of the program.

A new Professor in Physiotherapy will be appointed at the College of Health and Human Sciences with the approval process currently in train with the Australian Physiotherapy Council (APC).