16/04/2020
OPEN!!
Dear All,
Please excuse the group nature of this correspondence regarding enquiries about remedial massage therapy. Several people have sought clarification, so I have taken the liberty of blind copying you all into the same reply. Thank you for the opportunity to investigate this on your behalf.
Please find below advice from NSW Health as at 16 April 2020.
The Public Health (COVID-19 Restrictions on Gathering and Movement) Order 2020 [NSW] (https://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/_emergency/Public%20Health%20(COVID-19%20Restrictions%20on%20Gathering%20and%20Movement)%20Order%202020_as%20amended.pdf) requires certain premises to close, including business premises that are spas, nail salons, beauty salons, waxing salons, tanning salons, tattoo parlours or massage parlours
In response to a number of enquiries relating to which services are able to continue operating under the Public Health Order, NSW Health has issued further clarification for the public and businesses. Premises providing remedial massage and other massage therapy services are premises providing a health service
· There is not a concept in any of the current NSW Public Health Orders of ‘essential services’ that must stay open (at this stage). It is at the discretion of services or businesses which are not directed to shut down to remain open.
Under the Health Care Complaints Act (and the Public Health Act), a health service includes “optical dispensing, dietitian, massage therapy, naturopathy, acupuncture, speech therapy, audiology and audiometry service”
Persons providing remedial massage therapy and other massage therapy services may include non-registered health practitioners. All non-registered health practitioners must comply with the code of conduct for non-registered health practitioners. The code requires, among other things, that “A health practitioner must adopt standard precautions for the control of infection in his or her practice.”
The Health Care Complaints Commission can issue a prohibition order against a practitioner who fails to comply with the code and who poses a risk to the public. A prohibition order can prevent the practitioner from practising or place conditions on their practice.
· NSW Health 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 or surfaces including computers, door handles, client areas, having strict processes for ensuring unwell staff do not attend the workplace, displaying signage to remind employees and clients of hand hygiene and cough etiquette including in indoor areas – resources are available via the NSW Health website).
· It would be prudent for services that require close interaction with clients, such as remedial massage therapy and myotherapy services, to ensure providers implement processes to screen clients for symptoms or contact with a known case of COVID-19 prior to clients attending for services, if they choose to continue to operate.
· Should therapists choose not to provide services, they are also well within their rights to do this.
I hope this information is helpful.
Best wishes,
LEGISLATION.NSW.GOV.AU
www.legislation.nsw.gov.au
