Effective 1 April 2026.
This resource outlines the key changes in the updated Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, when compared to the previous version of the Code (2018).
All registered physiotherapists need to read and understand the Code in full and be ready to put this into practice from 1 April 2026. This resource will help to highlight where things have changed, and what these changes are.
For further background information regarding the changes and reasons for the changes, please also refer to the Decision Document.
Background Information
Why has the Code of Ethics been amended?
The Board | te Poari is currently undertaking a systematic review of the Physiotherapy standards framework. The framework details the minimum standards required of physiotherapists and includes:
- The Aotearoa New Zealand Physiotherapy Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (the Code)
- The physiotherapy standards
- The Physiotherapy practice thresholds in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand
The Code was last revised in 2018. The 2025/6 review looks to contemporise the Code for today’s practicing environment and the variety of settings in which physiotherapists work.
Why have some of the terms in the Code changed?
The replacement of words such as ‘patient’ with the word ‘kiritaki’ in the Code have been carefully considered, having regard to the feedback received. The replacement of ‘patient’ with ‘kiritaki’ reflects the diverse group of people physiotherapists work within contemporary physiotherapy settings. Physiotherapists no longer solely work with ‘patients’ in the traditional sense. The Board | te Poari considered a number of options to address this issue and ultimately determined that the term ‘kiritaki’ was the most accurate word to collectively describe and appropriately reflect the people physiotherapists work with. Reference to this term and others can be found within the glossary and are signposted throughout the document.
General changes/changes throughout the publication
‘Patient’ has been replaced by ‘kiritaki’. Kiritaki is defined in the glossary as: patient/client/consumer.
Pronouns have been made gender neutral; ‘he/she’ has been amended to ‘them/their’.
Updated Te Tiriti o Waitangi section in preamble.
Changes to the commentary – some commentary has been removed, and some commentary has been added or expanded on.
Updates to reference to relevant legislation and Physiotherapy practice thresholds in Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand.
Updated glossary of terms. Words included in the glossary of terms are underlined in the text of the Code. New terms or terms with an amended definition are highlighted by an asterisk in the glossary of terms.
New principles
The following principles are new in the 2026 Code.
4.2 Physiotherapists must not bully or harass or facilitate or enable bullying or harassment in a workplace or workplace related setting.
4.7 Physiotherapists must identify, and work to reduce organisational, institutional and individual discriminatory behaviour in the physiotherapy context.
6.4 Physiotherapists must ensure that their professional obligations and standards are not jeopardised by employment or contractual arrangements, relationships with industry, or other arrangements.
Removed Principles
The following principles have been removed from the Code.
Physiotherapists must be responsible stewards of healthcare resources.
Previously principle 4.3 in 2018 Code.
Reason for removal: Usually out of the control of the physiotherapist.
Physiotherapists must take particular care to uphold the values within this Code when using electronic communication and social networking sites in a professional or personal capacity.
Previously Principle 10.3 in 2018 Code.
Reason for removal: Covered in principle 8.4
Physiotherapists must, when engaged in advertising or promotion:
» Claim only those titles and qualifications to which they are entitled and ensure that any perceived or actual misperceptions about titles and qualifications are avoided and corrected.
» Must not use any advertising methods and/or material that bring the profession into disrepute.
» Not engage in any conduct that is misleading as to the nature, characteristics, effectiveness, and/or suitability.
Previously 10.5 in 2018 Code
Reason for removal: Covered in other legislation.
Physiotherapists should avoid treating whānau, family members and others close to you.
Previously principle 10.7 in 2018 Code.
Reason for removal: Has its own standard (Treatment of whānau, family members and others close to you standard).
Amended principles
The following principles have been amended to include alternative or additional wording, to remove wording, or to change from a statement of ‘Physiotherapists should’ to ‘Physiotherapists must.’
The changes are highlighted in statements below by underlining of the key words that have been amended.
1.2 Physiotherapists must conduct themselves respectfully towards kiritaki as well as their Whānau, family and support persons.
Amendment: Wording updated from ‘carers’ to ‘support persons’. Definition of support persons included in glossary.
1.3 Physiotherapists must practise with due care and respect for kiritaki culture, identity, needs, values, lived experience and beliefs.
Amendment: ‘Including Te Ao Māori’ removed from the end of statement, as ‘culture, identity, needs, values, lived experiences and beliefs’ encompasses and includes Te Ao Māori.
1.4 Physiotherapists must not impose their own identity, values, and beliefs on kiritaki or their Whānau and family.
Amendment: Addition of ‘identity’.
2.3 Physiotherapists must establish collaborative and respectful relationships with kiritaki that acknowledge their needs and goals.
Amendment: ‘Collaborative’ added. ‘Relationships’ replaces ‘partnerships’
2.4 Physiotherapists must clearly and adequately inform kiritaki of the purpose and nature of the physiotherapy service to enable them to make an informed choice, ensuring informed consent is freely given and appropriately documented.
Amendment: ‘Service’ replaces ‘intervention’ and addition of ‘ensuring informed consent is freely given and appropriately documented.’
2.8 Physiotherapists must establish and maintain appropriate professional boundaries with students under their supervision, and recognise there is a power imbalance.
Amendment: Additional wording (underlined above).
2.11 Physiotherapists must, where there are concerns that kiritaki or others may be subject to abuse, consider their legal and ethical obligations.
Amendment: Statement changed from ‘should’ to ‘must’.
3 Physiotherapists protect confidentiality, privacy, and security of kiritaki information.
Amendment: Wording changed from ‘respect’ to protect’.
3.1 Physiotherapists must protect kiritaki information, hold it in confidence, and not disclose identifiable personal or health information without their recorded permission, or if legally required or permitted.
Amendment: Alternative wording to better reflect privacy legislation and merging of two principles.
3.3 Physiotherapists must only access kiritaki information, records, and/or images when the physiotherapist has a lawful reason to do so.
Amendment: ‘Information’ added to encompass all that is collected. Wording altered to reflect that physiotherapists other than the treating physiotherapist may be required to access these.
4.1 Physiotherapists must not discriminate or facilitate or enable discrimination based on race, gender, age, religion, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, economic, social or health status or any other legally prohibited grounds of discrimination.
Amendment: Additional wording (underlined above).
4.3 Physiotherapists must use a coherent, robust and transparent rationale when allocating resources, taking into account the resource environment.
Amendment: Additional wording (underlined above).
4.4 Physiotherapists must only feel able to refuse to treat kiritaki if they have sound reasons. The kiritaki should be informed of the reasons, alternative options of care, and where appropriate to refer to another healthcare provider.
Amendment: Wording amended and commentary updated. Wording changed from ‘should’ to ‘must’.
4.6 Physiotherapists should advocate to promote health equity and improve access to services.
Amendment: Wording amended (previously: Physiotherapists should advocate to reduce health disparities and inequalities, and improve access to services).
5.6 Physiotherapists must provide appropriate direction and support for colleagues and staff.
Amendment: Wording altered from ‘less experienced colleagues’ and ‘support staff’, to include all physiotherapists and staff.
5.7 Physiotherapists must keep comprehensive, up‐to‐date, accurate, accessible and comprehensible kiritaki records.
Amendment: Wording updated from ‘legible’ to ‘accessible and comprehensible’ to reflect that not all records are written.
5.8 Physiotherapists must have an appropriate level of understanding and comply with the laws and regulations that govern and impact on the practise of physiotherapy in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Amendment: Wording updated from ‘full understanding’ to ‘appropriate level of understanding.’
5.9 Physiotherapists must not undermine kiritaki safety, when teaching physiotherapy skills to others.
Amendment: Reworded and moved from Principle 10.
6.1 Physiotherapists must provide truthful, accurate and relevant information, and must not knowingly make misleading representations.
Amendment: Wording amended (following wording removed from end of statement ‘to patients and those legally entitled or authorised to receive information’).
6.5 Physiotherapists must consider and only accept gifts and/or koha and/or incentives that do not influence or give the appearance of influencing the physiotherapist’s professional judgement.
Amendment: Wording updated (altered wording is underlined above).
6.6 Physiotherapists must be alert to potential or apparent conflicts of interest, (including financial arrangements) and take appropriate steps to declare and manage them.
Amendment: Wording updated (altered wording is underlined above).
6.8 Physiotherapists must provide information about the avenues for raising concerns or complaints about the care, treatment or other services they have received.
Amendment: Wording updated to make it clear that physiotherapists must provide information but are not required to support.
7.1 Physiotherapists must undertake continual learning and the maintenance and development of contemporary physiotherapy skills, knowledge and practise.
Amendment: Reworded to reflect lifelong ongoing learning and the changing landscape of physiotherapy (updated wording is underlined above).
7.4 Physiotherapists must ensure that any remuneration for participating as a research investigator does not influence clinical judgment or commitment to kiritaki welfare.
Amendment: Amendment to statement to highlight the requirement for kiritaki safety.
7.5: Physiotherapists should, when developing innovative approaches, ensure they are formally evaluated and reviewed for the safety of kiritaki.
Amendment: Amended wording.
8: Physiotherapists communicate effectively and collaborate with colleagues, other health professionals and agencies, for the benefit of their kiritaki and the wider community.
8.1 Physiotherapists must engage in effective communication and collaborate with colleagues, other health professionals and agencies to achieve optimal outcomes for the kiritaki.
Amendment: Wording changed from ‘cooperate’ to ‘collaborate’.
8.4 Physiotherapists must behave respectfully in all media and communication to, and about kiritaki, colleagues or other professional and agencies (including when using electronic communication and social media).
Amendment: Added wording ‘all media’.
9.1 Physiotherapists must not practise while their judgment or skill may be affected by any alcohol, drugs, or psychoactive substances.
Amendment: Principle reworded and removal of ‘or when physical, mental or emotional ill health may impair performance’.
9.3 Physiotherapists should recognise when fatigue, stress, physical or mental illness or any other condition may affect their professional practice and take appropriate steps.
Amendment: Rewording of underlined text.
9.4 Physiotherapists should reflect on the need for appropriate support when practising in challenging areas of practice.
Amendment: Rewording of underlined text, statement widened to include all challenging areas of practice.
10.1 Physiotherapists must report to the appropriate authority any matter they have witnessed, observed, or been made aware of in the practice setting that could endanger a kiritaki or others.
Amendment: Wording amended to include underlined text, reflecting the requirement to report unsafe matters to the appropriate authority.
10.6 Physiotherapists should support the education of physiotherapy students and colleagues.
Amendment: Rewording (removal of reference to supporting education of ‘less experienced’ colleagues, to include all colleagues).