Executive Officer Report

From the Chair

Autumn 2021

Happy New Year to all ANTA Members and welcome to 2021! While I am sure we all look toward the cycle of a new year in the hope we will do better, I join with you in the assertion that we can and we will! To all our Members, ANTA Administration Staff and Board Members offer you our congratulations in surviving the annus horribilis that was 2020! ANTA will continue to provide support and leadership to promote and protect the rights of all our Members to engage in training programs and clinical practice. The recovery of incomes is paramount as we return to the delivery of Health Care and the range of therapies required to fortify the health of our clients following the events of the past year.

NUTRITION

ANTA is currently involved in an action to protect our Nutrition Branch Members rights and ensure they can continue professional practice and provide their clients with essential health services through Nutritional Medicine and Clinical Nutrition therapies. ANTA’s raisons d’être include decisions to allocate Member funds to the protection and promotion of all the therapies we have carriage over under the ANTA Constitution and our Quality Policies and Procedures. We seek to oppose a trademark application that has the potential to affect freedom of practice for ANTA Nutritionists. The National Administration Office will advise the progress of our action directly to the Members of the ANTA Nutrition Branch as it occurs.

NATUROPATHY

During 2020 we managed to continue strong support for all Members and experienced modest growth under challenging conditions. We have revived the case for Naturopaths to regain their Private Health Fund status through collaboration with Private Healthcare Australia (PHA). The PHA is the peak body for private health insurers across Australia. The PHA has acknowledged the right to practice for all certified naturopaths and the related natural medicine modalities that were forcibly removed from the private health fund lists in April 2019. ANTA holds the view that the current “review of the review” has taken an inordinate period of time and taxpayer’s money while members of the public have been unnecessarily deprived of support to maintain and improve their lives through access to safe and effective therapies. Moreover, private health insurers were forced by the Government to remove cover for sixteen therapies many Australians relied on to improve their health, lifestyle and wellbeing. Former Prime Ministers have acknowledged that Australians are smart enough to make sound choices in regard to their futures; therefore, this decision alone needs to be reversed and the right of choice restored to Australian citizens.

COLLABORATION WITH LIKE-MINDED GROUPS

Throughout the pandemic ANTA collaborated with three other major professional Associations to ensure we were receiving consistent messaging from the respective state-based Health Authorities and intervened with a combined voice each time inconsistencies and mixed messages were received, causing confusion among our respective Members. This collaboration proved most valuable through the crisis-periods as they developed. All therapists were kept up to date with consistent messaging to avoid risks and increase personal safety of all Members. I want to thank the CEOs of Myotherapy Association of Australia, the Australian Traditional Medicine Society and Massage and Myotherapy Australia for their contribution to a cohesive and strong approach to all Health Departments across Australia. Thank you all for your diligence and input to keep our collective Members safe and in practice for as long as we are able.

ONGOING ADVOCACY

ANTA has engaged an experienced lobbyist to assist our efforts to regain rebates through the ability to access key stakeholders in this process. We are also addressing gaps in the National Code of Conduct in relation to minimum education standards for entry to unregistered health care worker occupations and formal protection of title for all practitioners who have completed the standard, current, accredited qualification in their field.

STRENGTH THROUGH INTEGRITY

The ANTA Board of Directors has expanded exponentially to meet the demands of regulators and to provide promotion and protection over the growing ANTA Membership. During 2020, we expanded the Board as new Directors joined through 2019 and 2020. We continue to enjoy the support and guidance of highly qualified, experienced clinicians who are leaders in their field of

practice, representing your interests. Our overarching interest is in your education, training standards, integration into clinical practice and ongoing support to ensure your success as a natural health professional continues in a meaningful way to secure your future.

PROMOTION OF ANTA AND ITS MEMBERS

The rebuild of the ANTA website approaches its time to go live and we will soon see many changes, smoother function and easier access. Organic growth will improve through our outward-facing pages that have been populated to inform and provide access to the public. Our efforts to provide ready access with higher quality and relevant information to our audience will also improve access to Members by the public. The Practitioner Directory Upgrade is a major component of this rebuild and will change the current speed of access and accuracy users will experience. The ANTA Board and Administration Staff is confident this improved access will facilitate rapid interaction between natural therapists and their clients, potential and existing. Our relationship with a first-class media service provider, we can rely on the best options for our Member services going forward. I trust we can count on the support and patience of our Members through this period of change and rely on the leadership and support provided through the team of highly qualified and experienced therapists managing the professional and commercial support you deserve.

Regards Jim Olds

ANTA Fellow ANTA Executive Officer & Company Secretary

BHSc MST, BHSc Comp Med, GC Higher Ed, MSC, Dip Nut, Dip RM, Dip TCMRM.