This advice is for ATMS members in Western Australia.
Over the Anzac Day weekend the Western Australian Government updated the WA COVID-19 coronavirus: Community advice website.
The new rules specifically authorise a return to practice for “Chinese and alternative medicine/therapies” and for “Remedial massage.”
Our overview of practice in Western Australia can now be summarised in 3 broad groupings.
At a national level, AHPRA registered practitioners continue to be viewed as essential services: for ATMS that covers Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, Chiropractic or Osteopathy. These services have never been restricted. The new Western Australian rules now state “There are no restrictions on the practice of alternative medicine, such as acupuncture, as long as such practices do not operate from an affected place e.g. a wellness centre or beauty parlour.”
Remedial massage: The new Western Australian rules now state “There are no restrictions on the provision of remedial massage therapy, as long as such treatment is not provided from an "affected place" e.g. a massage parlour or a gym.” It is now clear that remedial massage in a clinic setting is no longer restricted.
Other bodywork modalities: The new Western Australian rules now state “There are no restrictions on the practice of alternative medicine, such as acupuncture, as long as such practices do not operate from an affected place e.g. a wellness centre or beauty parlour.”
Ingestive modalities: The new Western Australian rules now state “There are no restrictions on the practice of alternative medicine, such as acupuncture, as long as such practices do not operate from an affected place e.g. a wellness centre or beauty parlour.” Audio-visual consultations in accordance with the ATMS policy continue to be an excellent alternative to face-to-face consultations.
A specific note on “wellness centres” in WA: Wellness centres are listed in a section titled Leisure and Recreation and the group reads “Health clubs, fitness centres, yoga, barre and spin facilities, saunas, bathhouses and wellness centres”. There has been some contention over the words “wellness centres” in WA. Our view, supported by local examples in WA, is that natural therapy services offered in a clinic setting with one on one consultations by practitioners are not categorised as a “wellness centre” for this purpose.
The question of continuing or returning to practice in Western Australia is now less about government restriction and more about your decision of risk and proper processes to manage that risk.
ATMS recommends all services that continue to operate implement measures to support social distancing (e.g. spacing staff out on the floor wherever possible at a minimum distance of 1.5 metres, enabling as many staff as possible for the safe running of the facility to work from home) and infection control procedures (e.g. ensuring hand sanitiser or hand washing facilities are freely available, increasing routine cleaning of surfaces including computers, door handles etc, having strict processes for ensuring unwell staff do not attend the workplace, displaying signage to remind employees of hand hygiene and cough etiquette including in indoor areas).
ATMS also recommends all services implement rigorous processes to screen clients for symptoms or contact with a known case of COVID-19 prior to clients attending for services.
The full details of the Western Australian advice is here:
https://www.wa.gov.au/organisation/department-of-the-premier-and-cabinet/covid-19-coronavirus-community-advice?fbclid=IwAR3oi-uSzdufGeej1yUb3X9nhpYPsnza5IMTR2cLfaS_wzmDJAHat8rAa2o#prohibited
The relevant extracts for Western Australian practitioners are as follows.
Prohibited activities and venues
Beauty and personal care services
| Business, premises or place |
Exceptions |
| Beauty therapy, tanning, waxing, nail salons, tattoo parlours |
None |
| Spas and massage parlours |
None |
| Chinese and alternative medicine/therapies |
There are no restrictions on the practice of alternative medicine, such as acupuncture, as long as such practices do not operate from an affected place e.g. a wellness centre or beauty parlour. |
| Float centres |
None |
| Remedial massage |
There are no restrictions on the provision of remedial massage therapy, as long as such treatment is not provided from an "affected place" e.g. a massage parlour or a gym. |
Leisure and recreation
| Business, premises or place |
Exceptions |
| Health clubs, fitness centres, yoga, barre and spin facilities, saunas, bathhouses and wellness centres |
None |
|
|
