Proposed: Providing physiotherapy services to whānau, family members and those close to the physiotherapist standard

This Standard is secondary legislation made by the Physiotherapy Board under section 118(i) of the Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003.

Introduction

Physiotherapists in Aotearoa New Zealand may, at times, be asked to assess, provide treatment, or other physiotherapy services to whānau, family, or those they have a close relationship with. These requests may result from trust, accessibility or cultural obligations, there are inherent power dynamics and considerations for both kiritaki and physiotherapists.

This standard does acknowledge the cultural and relational context in Aotearoa New Zealand, therefore if physiotherapy services are provided to whānau, family members and those close to a physiotherapist, consideration, reflection and sound reasoning must be undertaken to ensure that kiritaki rights are respected.

Relationship with Physiotherapy Standards Framework

This standard should be read in conjunction with the Informed consent standard, Cultural safety and cultural competence standard, Physiotherapy health records standard, Professional boundaries standard, and the Physiotherapy Standards Framework.

Defined terms

Terms and wording used within this standard that are linked are defined in the defined terms.

In the context of physiotherapy in Aotearoa New Zealand, the Physiotherapy Board te Poari Tiaki Tinana has defined the following key terms.

Health literacy

Being able to obtain, understand and use health information to navigate health services and make appropriate health decisions.

(The physiotherapist is responsible for presenting health information in a way that kiritaki can understand).

Kiritaki

Patient, client, consumer.

Tangata whenua

Māori people of a particular locality, or as a whole the original inhabitants of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Tauiwi

Non‐Māori, European, Pākehā

Whānau

This is generally described as a collective of people connected through a common ancestor (whakapapa) or as the result of a common purpose (kaupapa).

Whakapapa and kaupapa are not mutually exclusive. Whakapapa whānau will regularly pursue kaupapa or goals. Whereas kaupapa whānau may or may not have whakapapa connections. Whakapapa whānau and kaupapa whānau are social constructs and as such can be located along a continuum depending on the function and intent.

Family member

Includes, but is not limited to, the physiotherapist’s spouse or partner, parent, child, sibling, members of their whānau or extended family, or their spouse or partner’s extended whānau or family.

Those close to the physiotherapist

Any other individuals who have a personal or close relationship with the physiotherapist, whether familial or not, where the relationship is of such a nature that it could reasonably be expected to affect their professional and objective judgement.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi

The Board te Poari acknowledges Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a founding document of Aotearoa New Zealand and respects Māori as tangata whenua. The standard integrates the articles and overarching principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi with the aim to improve health equity between Māori and Tauiwi.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi was signed in 1840 between the British Crown and many indigenous Māori leaders and is one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s founding documents. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is te reo Māori version of this agreement, and the Treaty of Waitangi is the English language version.  There are notable differences observed between the English and te reo Māori texts.

To practise effectively in Aotearoa New Zealand, a physiotherapist needs to understand the relevance of and be able to apply the Tiriti o Waitangi principles, while promoting equitable opportunity for positive health outcomes within the context of Māori health models, including whānau (family health), tinana (physical health), hinengaro (mental) and wairua (spiritual health).

The Purpose of the Standard

The purpose of this standard is to ensure that physiotherapists protect the health and safety of the public by:

1. Ensuring that decisions to provide physiotherapy services to whānau, family members and those close to the physiotherapist are informed by sound reasoning and critical reflection, are culturally safe and competent, and appropriately documented, and include informing third party funders when funded services are provided.

New Zealand Law

Physiotherapists must be familiar with the law governing this area of practice including, but not limited to, the:

Health Practitioners Competence Assurance Act 2003

Human Rights Act 1993

New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990

Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights 1996

Providing Physiotherapy services to whānau, family members and those close to the physiotherapist

1. Before providing physiotherapy services to whānau, family members and those close to the physiotherapist, a physiotherapist must:
   • Consider whether, in the circumstances, the physiotherapist is best placed to provide the services or whether another physiotherapist or health practitioner could best provide the proposed services instead; and
   • Document whether the physiotherapist is best placed to provide the services or whether another physiotherapist or health practitioner could best provide the proposed services instead together with the reasons for the decision
   • If the physiotherapist considers that another physiotherapist or health practitioner is best suited to provide the services, inform kiritaki of the reasons, document and not provide the services).
2. A physiotherapist who decides to provide services to whānau, family members and those close to the physiotherapist must consider, manage, and record the management of any potential risks arising from:
   • inherent power dynamics
   • the need to provide culturally safe services
   • kiritaki health and literacy
   • the need to gather pertinent information to safely assess, diagnose and provide management
   • the need to obtain informed consent
   • being able to be objective and make sound decisions
   • maintaining privacy and confidentiality of kiritaki
   • third party funder requirements.
3. A physiotherapist must document clearly when physiotherapy services have been provided to whānau, family members and those close to the physiotherapist (see Physiotherapy health records standard)
4. If a third party is funding or part‐funding the services, a physiotherapist should inform that funder that services have been provided to whānau, family members and those close to the physiotherapist.

Related resources

Aotearoa New Zealand Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (2026)

Physiotherapy health records standard

Cultural safety and cultural competence standard

Professional boundaries standard

Physiotherapy practice thresholds for Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand (2024)

Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers’ Rights

Health Information Privacy Code (2020)Privacy Act (2020)