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OPA Meets with MPs & Sends Letter to the Minister of Health

May 28, 2024 

During National Physiotherapy Month in May, OPA joined CPA and physiotherapists to meet with federal MPs from Ontario ridings. These meetings have highlighted the benefits of full implementation of physiotherapy scope of practice, and how enabling physiotherapists to order diagnostic imaging and lab tests will improve care for the people of Ontario while reducing costs. 

Some of the meetings to date: 

  • Pam Damoff, MP Oakville-North Burlington 
  • Peter Fragiskatos, MP London North Centre 
  • Lindsay Mathyssen, MP London-Fanshawe 
  • Anthony Rota, MP Nipissing-Timiskaming 
  • Valerie Bradford, MP Kitchener South-Hespeler 

OPA President, Courtney Bean, and OPA CEO, Sarah Hutchison, have followed up with Ontario’s Minister of Health, Sylvia Jones, and requested a meeting with her and the Deputy Minister, to discuss the outstanding regulations needed. 

Read the letter

Community Surgical and Diagnostic Centres: Joint Letter with the Ontario Orthopaedic Association (OOA)

May 15, 2024 

Building on the shared work with the Ontario Orthopaedic Association (OOA) of meeting with MPPs in March, OPA and OOA collaborated on a call to include frontline health care expertise in the planning of the proposed Community Surgical and Diagnostic Centres. As hip and knee joint replacement surgeries are slated to take place at these Centres, the expertise of physiotherapists and orthopaedic surgeons is essential to ensure the provision of clinically effective care with assured access to rehabilitation.  

Read the joint letter submitted to the Minister of Health, the Honourable Sylvia Jones, and the President & CEO of Ontario Health, Matthew Anderson. 

Joint Letter to MOH and OH

OPA Sends Letter to the Minister of Health & Meets with MPP France Gélinas, PT

April 30, 2024 

On Tuesday, April 23, 2024, OPA had the privilege of meeting virtually with MPP France Gélinas, PT, to discuss a letter OPA sent a few days prior to the Minister of Health, Sylvia Jones. Many thanks to Ms. Gélinas, who delivered the letter to Minister Jones that day, for her support for physiotherapists and her work to improve healthcare for Ontarians. 

The letter calls for action by the provincial government to fully implement the scope of practice of physiotherapists already passed in legislation in Bill 179. The regulation changes needed for physiotherapists to order diagnostic imaging and lab tests have been outstanding for too long. With scope of practice as the focus for National Physiotherapy Month, it is a timely reminder of how full scope implementation will improve access to health care, cost-effectiveness, and health outcomes for the people of Ontario. 

Read the letter
Scope of Practice Campaign

OPA Response to CPC Program Announcement

March 28, 2024 

OPA has been keeping members updated on our work over the last two years to resolve issues facing clinics participating, through a Transfer Payment Agreement (TPA) with the Ministry of Health (MoH), in the Community Physiotherapy Clinic (CPC) program. 

On March 26, 2024, TPA holders received an update from the Ministry of Health on the changes being made to the Community Physiotherapy Clinic Program and OPA is pleased to see many of the recommendations we made have been accepted. 

In particular the following changes positively impact clinics’ costs and provide some flexibility to respond to changes in EOC allocations between contract periods: 

  • An increase in fees: 3% in the first year of the TPA, and 2% in the second year 
  • One diagnosis for one Episode of Care (EOC) rather than the current ‘whole body’ multiple diagnoses approach 
  • Replacement of the annual Review Engagement Financial Statement with an annual attestation 
  • Support access to virtual care as per College of Physiotherapists of Ontario guidelines 
  • Enable reallocation of available EOCs when a clinic closes or identifies they are unable to fulfill all EOCs assigned, or when the Ministry chooses to allocate unused EOCs 
  • Remove the requirement for referral from physicians or nurse practitioners 

We are pleased to see an increase in the EOC fee, although it does fall significantly short of matching the inflationary costs affecting the program since its inception in 2013. The changes above will have a positive impact of reducing some of the costs, however, and should be factored in by TPA holders making decisions going forward. 

It should be noted that an additional change will impact the eligibility requirements for the program through the removal of the need for an overnight stay at the hospital for those who need physiotherapy after a procedure/surgery. 

OPA engaged very intensively and continuously with the Ministry to make the case for these needed changes. We will continue to be fully engaged in revising the Program’s Policies and Procedures, based on these changes. We will also push to initiate a more comprehensive and thorough review of the CPC program, including fees, so that it can be completed well in advance of the expiration of the next TPAs on March 31, 2026. With changes in eligibility criteria, a review is essential to evaluate the demand on the program and other impacts to resources. 

Thank you to the members of the CPC working group whose insights, experience and dedication grounded this advocacy work and enabled the Ministry to hear directly from physiotherapists. 

If you have additional questions, please contact Amy Hondronicols.

OPA Submission on CPO Proposed Standards: Code of Ethical Conduct & Standards Review

March 27, 2024 

The College of Physiotherapists of Ontario (CPO) recently closed their 60-day consultation period for their proposed Code of Ethical Conduct and Standards Review. OPA submitted a response for each consultation, and the recommendations are summarized as follows: 

In reviewing the Code of Ethical Conduct as proposed, OPA made three high level recommendations: 

1) Build on the concept of informed consent; 
2) Recognize the role of substitute decision makers in patient care; 
3) Build on our ethical responsibility and role to address instances of discrimination, racism, and prejudice in healthcare. 

OPA recommended that the College establish a Standard of Ethical Conduct to demonstrate a strong commitment to anti-racism and cultural safety, and create a strong structure that the public, physiotherapists, and policy makers can depend on to provide safe, equitable and high-quality health care services. 

Read OPA’s Submission

In reviewing the Standards consultation, OPA has recommended minor changes, without any significant needs for amendment to the proposed standards: Assessment, Diagnosis, Treatment, Communication, and Risk Management and Safety. 

OPA provided substantial recommendations for amendment to the Duty of Care Standard, which includes clarification of definitions and language that is in alignment with provincial regulations, specifically the Ontario Code of Misconduct (O. Reg 388/08) as it pertains to the discontinuation of care in both the presence and absence of continuing need. 

Read OPA’s Submission

OPA Home Care Submission

March 26, 2024 

OPA was invited to attend a webinar by the Ministry of Health to provide feedback on the process for developing new service provider organization contracts. The Home and Community Care Branch asked for input specifically related to the patient and family experience of care, staffing and workforce issues and service performance. Discussion included how there needs to be more transparency on how contracts work and how funds are distributed, more information on who works in the home care sector, reduced disparity in wages across professions and methods to increase hiring and retention. 

OPA’s submission identified eight recommendations for service provider contracts based on the themes of enhancing equity and fairness across professions and contracts, working to full scope of practice, and increasing and ensuring access to home care for everyone. 

Read OPA’s Submission

Pre-Budget Submission 2024

January 30, 2024 

OPA recently filed our recommendations to Ontario’s Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs. Pre-budget submissions are an opportunity to inform the Government of Ontario’s priorities, as addressed in the budget. Our submission focuses OPA’s continued advocacy on three main objectives, to: 

  1. Fully implement the legislated scope of practice for the physiotherapy profession; 
  1. Ensure a viable and sustainable publicly-funded community physiotherapy clinic program for vulnerable Ontarians, including seniors; and, 
  1. Reduce red tape in the automobile insurance sector that creates barriers to timely access to care for Ontarians and imposes costly and undue burden on health care businesses and address stagnant caps and fees. 

OPA continues to advocate on each of these issues through 2024. 

Read OPA’s Full Submission

OPA Comments on CPO Consultation on the Collection of Demographic Information

November 23, 2023 

OPA submitted comments as part of CPO’s consultation process on bylaw changes related to collecting demographic information. It is essential to include a robust explanation about the purpose of collection, policies related to storage, use and dissemination, procedures for members to request corrections, and who has ownership of the data. It is not sufficient to make the information sharing optional, especially as the examples noted pertain to sensitive questions about identity. There should be consultation on the appropriateness of each question included for collection. 

Read our submission

Submission to CPO’s Emergency Class Registration Consultation

April 6, 2023 

The Ontario Physiotherapy Association submitted feedback to the Ministry of Health and the College of Physiotherapists of Ontario’s consultation to their proposed amendment of the general regulation to establish an Emergency Class of registration. 

Bill 106, the Pandemic and Emergency Preparedness Act, which came into effect in April 2022, made amendments to the Regulatory Health Professions Act (RHPA) Procedural Code that, requires all Health Profession Regulatory Colleges to establish an Emergency Class of Certificate of Registration. The aim is to reinforce the province’s health workforce planning and create an alternative pathway to register individuals in an expedited manner during emergency situations, such as a pandemic. 

Our key feedback focused on ensuring that the Province and regulatory College have tools in place to address health workforce issues in an effective and expedited manner during the time of emergency, while also ensuring that any proposed regulatory amendments not add complexity that negatively impacts the safety of the public, creates confusion for employers and health system managers, or has unintended negative impacts on health human resources during an emergency situation. 

Read OPA’s Response

Submission to Standing Committee for Finance and Economic Affairs Pre-Budget Consultations

February 14, 2023 

The OPA pre-Budget submission highlighted four areas that would bring substantial returns through increasing capacity in Ontario’s health care system and achieving the government’s objectives. 

  • Remove the barriers to physiotherapists working up to full scope; 
  • Facilitate successful entry to independent practice for internationally educated PTs by reinstating funding for the Ontario Internationally Educated Physical Therapy Bridging Program; 
  • Address program issues for community rehabilitation, including Community Physiotherapy Clinics and bundled care programs and resource appropriately to meet rehabilitation needs and help address surgical backlogs; and, 
  • Reduce red tape that is a barrier to care and imposes undue burden on health care businesses by removing requirement to exhaust extended health care benefits before accessing auto insurance benefits. 
Read our Submission