Primary care and
education
An injured worker may see either a doctor or nurse practitioner of
their choice. You will often be their first point of contact and
the treatment of the injury is the primary concern. Explain the
injury to the worker and reassure them that it will be managed so
they can return to work as soon as safely possible. It's important
to establish this return to work expectation from the start. Your
role in the scheme is to promote quality, timely and relevant
treatment in the management of injured workers.
Completion of a nurse
practitioner workers' compensation
certificate
Medical treatment and workplace rehabilitation are based on a
medical model with a doctor, dentist or nurse practitioner's
certification and approval required for all treatment and
rehabilitation services. The injured worker will need you to
complete a nurse practitioner workers' compensation certificate to
submit with their Application for compensation to the insurer. A
current certificate is required for the ongoing payment of
benefits. The certificate is essentially a communication tool
between insurers, employers and medical practitioners. The
information supplied in the certificate is used to determine and
manage the claim.
Your role is to complete the nurse practitioner certificate and
provide clinical assessment and opinion. It's the insurer's role to
assess and determine acceptance of the claim. Work must be a
significant contributing factor to the injury.
Completed medical certificates must be lodged with the relevant
insurer (not Q-COMP).
Ongoing care, monitoring and
certification
You may be required to refer the injured worker to other medical
or allied health practitioners for further treatment. If you
are involved in monitoring the worker's progress you may be
required to communicate with their employer's rehabilitation and
return to work coordinator, the insurer's case manager and/or
appropriate allied health providers.
Refer as
appropriate
Should you believe a referral to a doctor, specialist or an allied
health/work rehabilitation provider will benefit the worker. You
can communicate this to the insurer on the medical certificate
(part D).
Nurse Practitioner workers'
compensation protocol
The Nurse practitioner workers' compensation protocol has been
developed jointly by Q-COMP and Queensland Health. This
protocol outlines the conditions under which a nurse practitioner
can write certificates for an injured worker under the Queensland
workers' compensation scheme.
Fees
Once a claim is accepted the insurer will pay for
reasonable medical & nursing services according to the fees schedules.
Payment for any required communication that would not be considered
part of a normal consultation (fax, teleconference, reports etc) is
made according to the Supplementary services table of costs.
Order nurse practitioner
workers' compensation certificates:
Workers' compensation certificates are available both
electronically and as a hardcopy.
Electronic copies can be found:
• as a fillable PDF on our website.
Hardcopies are in books of 50 certificates. You can order
hardcopies by:
•
ordering
online
• faxing the order form to (07) 3888 3546
• calling and placing a phone order to (07) 3888 2488.
Useful Contacts
Q-COMP (the Workers' Compensation Regulatory
Authority)
For general queries about fees or how to find schedules online
contact our Health Services Team on 1300 789 881.
If you would like to register your interest in receiving nurse
practitioner information, email health@qcomp.com.au with your
name, organisation and position and we will email you relevant
information as it becomes available.
Insurers
If your question is about a specific claim or payment for
particular services you will need to speak to the insurer's case
manager.
WorkCover Queensland
If possible, use the direct number for the WorkCover Queensland
case manager. If you don't have their direct number you can call
1300 362 128 and give the name of your patient, their date of birth
or the claim number (if you know it).
Self-insured employers
Contact the employer
directly.