The highly personal, one-to-one interactions between unregistered health workers and their clients means better protections are needed in Tasmania, says an advocate.
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The issue of massage sexual assault was reported last month, following complaint to the state's health watchdog about a Launceston masseuse.
Tasmania has not yet adopted legislation to allow the state's health complaints watchdog to ban an unregistered health worker from practice when a complaint about their services has been made.
The watchdog has called for state laws to adopt a national code to better protect users of massage, fitness, wellness and other alternative services, but proclamation of the laws has been delayed for five years.
Massage and Myotherapy Association chief executive Ann Davey said Tasmania needed to adopt the national code for unregistered health workers due to the private and personal nature of many unregistered health services.
Ms Davey said powers to immediately ban unregistered health workers from working, after a public complaint has been, would offer better protections across the health services sector.
She said this independent and formal process would also allow vexatious claims to be managed appropriately.
"We need better protections for our members as well as better protections for the clients, and this is a step towards that," Ms Davey said.
"Massage is one-on-one, two people in a room, and you can't video what happens, so it can be a he-said, she-said situation, and that is why we need stronger protections."
Praise for health complaint system in other states
Ms Davey said the organisation received up to 10 complaints a year about massage sexual assault, and took a zero tolerance approach to such behaviours.
She said her organisation had robust processes to manage complaints but had limited powers and expertise to deal with sexual assault, inappropriate touching and other professional misconduct matters.
She explained that membership could be removed, and a recommendation issued to the complainant to take the matter to police.
"Unfortunately our jurisdiction stops there and because the commissioner in Tasmania doesn't have any disciplinary powers, nothing else can happen," Ms Davey said.
"In other states, once the health care complaints commissioners and ombudsman receive a complaint they can immediately issue an interim prohibition order, to stop someone from working for 12 weeks, and can continue to review it," she said.
"It would be really good if Tasmania did adopt the code of conduct, because it will assist not only our industry, but other unregulated health industries."