During a recent WorkSafe seminar on ‘Improving Return to Work culture within an organisation’, it became clear that a common frustration identified and expressed by numerous participants was their difficulties in contacting a worker’s treating practitioner to assist the Return to Work process. A guest speaker at the seminar, an Independent Medical Consultant for a Victorian WorkCover agent, advised that his strike rate in contacting treating practitioners was 30%, albeit his involvement was typically with complex type cases.

Upon returning to the P2 Group office, I decided to calculate P2 Group’s strike rate in contacting treating practitioners after performing a Functional Capacity Evaluation with a worker. A Functional Capacity Evaluation is an assessment conducted by a P2 Group Occupational Therapist, to determine a worker’s physical and mental health capacity to participate in an offer of suitable employment. Even though a significant number of the workers’ compensation claims we manage are complex long term claims from new clients our strike rate in contacting a worker’s treating practitioner after a Functional Capacity Evaluation is a pleasing 92%.

P2 Group has found the vast majority of treating practitioners will discuss a worker’s assessment results and actively engage with and support a P2 Group Occupational Therapist’s recommendations to facilitate a supportive return to work based upon the results of a Functional Capacity Evaluation.

If you are experiencing difficulty in speaking to the treating practitioners of your workers, contact a P2 Group Occupational Therapist today. It’s simple and provides you with greater input and control of your workers’ compensation claims. Our results speak for themselves.

Fraser Moore

P2 Group Occupational Therapist