Hi, i’m Elliot, a physio and the founder of Clinic1. I spent years in high-volume sport clinics, and I built Clinic1 because I kept hitting the same walls: clunky software, fragmented workflows, and admin that ate into the time we should have spent with patients.
This is my playbook for running an allied health clinic without a front desk. It’s opinionated. It’s how I’d set up a clinic today, given where the industry is: thin margins, rising costs, and patients who are watching every dollar.
Last checked: 27 October 2026. Figures and rules come from Australian sources listed at the end. This is general information, not legal, financial or tax advice.
Why the front desk model is under pressure
Running a clinic has rarely been harder on the numbers.
Wages are going up. Health professional minimum rates under the HPSS Award rise in stages through to 2030, on top of the Annual Wage Review each July. I’ve broken down what that costs a clinic in HPSS Award Pay Rises 2026-2030.
A revenue line has gone. Since 1 October 2026, clinics can’t add a surcharge for card payments. More in Card Surcharges Are Banned.
Admin is a big fixed cost. A full-time receptionist paid at Support Services Level 3 under the HPSS Award costs about $57,500 a year in wages, or about $64,400 with super, before leave, workers compensation and any payroll tax. That’s at the award minimum. Many clinics pay more, and many need more than one person to cover a 12-hour day.
Patients are stretched. In the ABS Patient Experiences survey for 2024-25, 16.1% of people aged 15 and over delayed or didn’t see a dental professional when needed because of cost. Among people who needed to see a psychologist for their own mental health, 25.3% delayed or didn’t go because of cost. There’s no equivale
Health funds only cover part of the fee. In the June 2026 quarter, 55.5% of Australians had extras cover. Funds paid $140.7 million in physiotherapy benefits across about 3.3 million services, an average of $43 a service. Everything above that comes out of the patient’s pocket.
So the question I’d ask is simple. If every dollar matters to you and to your patients, why spend a big share of them on a desk?
What “no front desk” actually means
It doesn’t mean nobody looks after patients. It means patients do the routine admin themselves, the software does the chasing, and clinicians spend their time on care.
In practice that looks like this:
- Patients book, reschedule and pay online or in an app
- They fill in intake forms and outcome measures before the first visit
- They check themselves in on a tablet
- Cards on file are charged automatically, and cancellation fees follow your policy without anyone having to make the call
- Claiming is done through online portals
- Reminders and waitlist offers go out automatically
The rest of this playbook is about the pricing and service design that make that model pay.
If a clinic has over 10,000 phone calls in a 6 month period, and we can reduce that at a minimum by 40%, that is a significant shift in admin labour and more importantly, costs.
1. Open 6am to 9pm, and make the edges of the day prepaid
The before-work and after-work slots are the ones working patients compete for. They’re also the hardest hours to staff, and the ones you lose most when someone cancels late.
So I’d do two things.
Charge a time-based fee for early and late appointments. Make it clear on your fee schedule, and apply it the same way however the patient pays. Since the card surcharge ban, a fee that applies because someone paid by card isn’t allowed. A fee for an early or late time slot is a different thing: the Reserve Bank has said the new rules don’t cover weekend or public holiday surcharges, or service fees that apply regardless of how the customer pays.
There can be a staffing reason too. Under the HPSS Award, ordinary hours for day workers in private physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathic practices can fall between 7.30 am and 9.00 pm on weekdays, so only 7.00 to 7.30 am falls outside the span. In other practices, including OT, podiatry, psychology and exercise physiology, the default is 6.00 am to 6.00 pm, so work after 6.00 pm falls outside it. Work outside the span can attract shiftwork or overtime rates, and the time-based fee helps cover that.
Make those slots prepaid. Take payment when the slot is booked, or at least take their credit card details. If the patient cancels inside your notice period, your policy applies automatically and you can enforce the charge with a button click. The clinician still gets paid for an hour that’s hard to refill, and you’re not chasing anyone.
Prepayment changes when you get paid, not what the patient can claim. Push private health claiming BACK onto the patient, as the claiming admin time does not benefit the clinic, it benefits the patient. It has also never been easier to upload an invoice to a private health app.
2. Price sports assessments properly, and build in buffer time
A sports injury that needs objective testing and a strength and conditioning program isn’t a standard consult. There’s the force plate or dynamometry testing, interpreting the results, writing the program and explaining it. If you squeeze that into a 30-minute slot, you either run late for the next patient or do half the job.
So I’d make it its own appointment type:
- Longer, with a buffer. Book the testing and programming time, then add a buffer after it so the next patient starts on time.
- Priced for what’s in it. Charge a higher rate for a sports assessment that includes testing and S&C prescription. You’re pricing the time, equipment and expertise, not the person.
- Clear upfront. Show the price on your fee schedule and booking page, and tell patients the fee and the likely health fund gap before the session. The Code of conduct for registered health practitioners asks you to discuss fees and get financial consent, preferably before the service is provided.
This is also where objective data earns its keep. Test results in the patient record make progress visible to the patient, the coach and the referrer, and they make your discharge report far more useful.
3. Use memberships to tie in face-to-face care, across professions
This is the biggest shift I’d make. Memberships turn unpredictable one-off bookings into predictable monthly revenue, and they keep patients engaged long enough to actually get better.
The model that makes the most sense to me is a multidisciplinary one, under one business. For example, a return-to-sport membership might include regular physio reviews, weekly exercise physiology classes and a dietitian check-in. A chronic pain or healthy ageing membership could combine physio, EP-led strength classes and an OT review, with a bonus Massage discount.
Here’s why I like it:
- Financial security for the books. Recurring revenue smooths out the quiet months and makes hiring decisions less of a gamble.
- Better use of every profession. Instead of separate practitioners competing for the same patients, the business offers a joined-up plan.
- Cheaper per session for patients. A bundle can lower the per-visit cost, which matters when people are stretched. Group classes are a good entry point.
- Scarcity for casual bookers. Release your best times to members first, and let casual bookings fill what’s left. That’s a fair trade for commitment, and it gives casual patients a reason to sign up.
One clinic using Clinic1 has already seen the impact. As Dan from ActiveRX Exercise Physiology put it: “Because of our new membership and rebooking system in Clinic1, our cancellation rate is down to 5%.”
The rules that keep memberships honest
This is where clinics need to be careful.
- Only sell what’s clinically indicated. The Code of conduct says to treat based on clinical need and not provide unnecessary services. AHPRA’s advertising guidelines list encouraging regular appointments without clinical indication as a possible breach, and they say this includes contracting for future services.
- Keep scarcity operational, not pushy. Giving members first access to bookings is fine. Advertising like “don’t miss out” or “for a limited time only” can be unlawful where it’s linked to unsubstantiated claims that someone’s health will suffer.
- Don’t use offers to push more care. AHPRA’s guidelines also flag incentives such as discounts and bonuses that encourage people to use services regardless of clinical need. Sign-up offers and member pricing are fine when the care itself is justified.
- State the terms. If you advertise a discount or offer, AHPRA’s guidelines say to state its terms and conditions in plain language and make them easy to find. If you advertise an instalment price, state the total cost too.
- Keep bulk-billed services separate. Don’t charge membership, booking or prepayment fees to access a bulk-billed Medicare service.
- Make the terms fair. Clear pause and cancellation rules protect you as much as the patient.
- Keep claiming simple. Where a membership includes services covered by private health, each claimable service should have its own invoice so the patient can claim it.
4. Let AI write the detailed letters
Initial assessment summaries and discharge reports are where good clinics stand out, and where tired clinicians cut corners. They take time, so they get shortened or skipped.
I’d use AI for both:
- A detailed initial summary after the first assessment, for the patient and their GP: findings, diagnosis, goals and the plan.
- A discharge report at the end of care: what changed, outcome measures, test results, and a home program to keep going.
Those letters do three jobs. Patients understand their care and stick with it. GPs see what you did, which is how referral relationships are built. And you have a clean record if anyone asks later.
Two professional obligations come with it. AHPRA’s guidance on AI says to get informed consent from patients before using an AI scribing tool and ideally note their response in the record. It also says the practitioner is responsible for checking the accuracy and relevance of records created using generative AI. I’d apply the same standard to AI-drafted letters: the AI writes the draft, the clinician checks and signs it.
5. Make it easy for patients who are watching every dollar
Low margins and stretched patients pull in opposite directions. The answer isn’t to keep discounting. It’s to give patients more ways to get good care for the money they have.
- Fewer, better sessions. A strong home program in an app, with adherence tracking, can mean fewer paid visits for the same result.
- Group classes as a lower-cost way to keep training under supervision.
- Telehealth reviews where they’re clinically suitable.
- Transparent fees. Post your prices, including any time-based fees and the likely gap. Nobody likes a surprise at the end of a session.
- Discounts for cheaper payment methods, if you want them. Since the surcharge ban, the ACCC says you can still offer a discount for paying by cash or PayID, as long as the price you display is the full price, the discount isn’t shown more prominently, and you tell patients before they book or pay.
6. Plan for the phone, and know who this suits
No front desk doesn’t mean nobody answers. Some patients will always call. I’d make the online path the easiest one, point voicemail and missed calls to the booking link, and set times each day when a clinician or a part-time admin returns calls.
It also doesn’t suit every clinic. If a big share of your work is NDIS, WorkCover or other compensable cases with heavy paperwork, or your patients strongly prefer the phone, you’ll probably still want some admin hours. The goal is to stop paying for a desk to do work patients and software can do, not to remove every person from the business.
What a day could look like
Here’s one way a 7am to 7pm clinic could run. It’s an example to adapt, not a rule.
| Time | What runs | Why |
|---|---|---|
| 6.00 am to 9.00 am | Prepaid early appointments, with a time-based fee | Most in demand from working patients, and early starts can cost more to staff, depending on your profession |
| 9.00 am to 3.00 pm | Initial assessments and standard consults | AI-drafted initial summaries go out the same day |
| 3.00 pm to 5.00 pm | Sports assessments with testing, S&C prescription and buffer time | After school and before training |
| 5.00 pm to 9.00 pm | Prepaid late appointments with a time-based fee, and member classes | Peak demand, protected by prepayment and member-first booking. Late finishes can cost more to staff in some professions |
Checklist: before you remove the desk
Online booking, rescheduling and payment work end to end on a phone
Intake forms and outcome measures go out before the first visit
Tablet check-in is set up
Cards on file and prepaid slots are in place for early and late appointments
Your cancellation policy is clear, fair and shown before booking
Time-based fees apply however the patient pays, and aren’t added to bulk-billed Medicare or DVA services
Sports assessments have their own appointment type, price and buffer time
Memberships are clinically justified, clearly priced and advertised with their terms
Patients consent before you use an AI scribe, and clinicians check every AI-drafted letter
There’s a plan for phone calls and complex paperwork
You’ve checked staff rostering against the award’s span of ordinary hours
How Clinic1 supports this model
This is the model Clinic1 was built for:
- Self-service for patients. Patients book, reschedule, pay, complete forms and outcome measures, and check in on a tablet. See the patient app.
- Payments that protect your time. Collect payment at booking with a saved card, offer prepaid appointment slots, set a different price for each appointment type (such as an early or late consult), and let cancellation fees apply automatically under your policy. See how payments work.
- Memberships across professions. Bundle consults, classes and other services, set pause rules, add sign-up fees, and create separate invoices for claimable items. See memberships.
- AI letters and summaries. Clinic1’s AI writes treatment notes, summaries from selected appointment notes, handovers and referral letters, and Outcome Tracking turns outcome measures from your notes into a shareable graph.
- Testing and programs. Clinic1 pulls in VALD test results, and the Exercise Module (an add-on) sends home programs to the patient app with adherence tracking.
- Fewer empty slots. Smart Waitlist offers cancelled appointments to patients in the app.
If you’d like to see it, start a 14-day free trial or book a walkthrough with me. Data migration is free from any practice management system.
FAQ
Can an allied health clinic really run without a front desk?
Yes, for many clinics. Patients book, pay, complete forms and check in themselves, and the software handles reminders, payments, cancellation fees and waitlists. Clinics with heavy NDIS, WorkCover or other compensable paperwork, or patients who strongly prefer the phone, may still need some admin hours.
Can I charge more for early or late appointments?
Yes, for private patients, as long as the fee applies however the patient pays. The Reserve Bank has said the card surcharge rules don’t cover weekend or public holiday surcharges, booking fees or service fees. You can’t add extra charges to bulk-billed Medicare services or charge DVA Veteran Card holders a gap.
Is it OK to charge more for a sports assessment?
Yes, if it’s a distinct service with more time and work in it, such as objective testing and strength and conditioning programming. Price it clearly, discuss the fee and likely gap before the session, and only book it when it’s clinically indicated.
Are memberships allowed for physio and allied health clinics?
Yes, but they must be clinically justified. AHPRA’s advertising guidelines say advertising must not encourage the unnecessary use of health services, and they list encouraging regular appointments without clinical indication, including contracting for future services, as a possible breach. State the terms of any offer clearly, and don’t attach membership fees to bulk-billed services.
Do I need patient consent to use an AI scribe?
AHPRA’s guidance says to get informed consent from patients before using an AI scribing tool, and ideally note their response in the health record. The practitioner is also responsible for checking the accuracy and relevance of records created using generative AI.
Sources
- All sources are Australian and were checked in October 2026.
- ABS, Patient Experiences, 2024-25 (released 18 November 2025)
- APRA, Quarterly private health insurance membership and benefits summary, June 2026
- AHPRA, Meeting your professional obligations when using Artificial Intelligence in healthcare
- AHPRA, Guidelines for advertising a regulated health service
- AHPRA, Shared Code of conduct
- Reserve Bank of Australia, Review of merchant card payment costs and surcharging: FAQs
- ACCC, Card surcharges
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 (MA000027)
- Department of Health, Disability and Ageing, Bulk billing and additional charges fact sheet
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs, Physiotherapists
The Fair Work Commission has found that the work of health professionals has been undervalued on the basis of gender. The fix is a new pay structure under the Health Professionals and Support Services Award (the HPSS Award) and a series of pay rises that started on 1 October 2026 and run through to 2030.
As a physio, I think this is overdue. Allied health clinicians are skilled professionals, and the award hasn’t reflected that for a long time. As a clinic owner, I also know a 15% to 20% rise in wage costs for some of your team needs planning, not a surprise every July.
This guide covers what changed, the new rates, and what the HPSS Award pay rises cost a typical clinic. There’s a calculator below so you can run the numbers for your own team.
Last checked: 20 October 2026, from the Fair Work Commission, Fair Work Ombudsman and ATO. This is general information, not legal, payroll or financial advice. Check your obligations with the Fair Work Ombudsman or an adviser.
The short version
- From 1 October 2026, health professionals under the HPSS Award moved to a new classification structure with higher minimum rates.
- Up to four more increases follow, from 30 June in 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030. Level 1 physios, EPs, OTs, podiatrists and psychologists get all four, as do Levels 2.2 and 3. Levels 2.1 and 4 get three, and some AQF 5 and 6 rates reach their final level sooner.
- These come on top of the Annual Wage Review each July. The Commission rejected arguments that they should be absorbed into future wage reviews.
- For a Level 1 physio, EP, OT or podiatrist, the increases from now to 2030 add roughly 15% to 20% to minimum rates, before any Annual Wage Review rises.
- Reception and admin staff on the support services classifications don’t get these increases, except dental assistants and pathology collectors. They still get Annual Wage Review rises.
- In our example clinic of four physios and a receptionist, the pay rises alone add about $52,000 a year by 2030, including super. Add a 3.5% Annual Wage Review each year and it’s about $121,000.
What changed
This came out of the Commission’s gender undervaluation review of priority awards. For the HPSS Award, the key steps were:
| Date | Decision | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| 16 April 2025 | [2025] FWCFB 74 | Found the work of health professionals, dental assistants and pathology collectors was undervalued |
| 24 December 2025 | [2025] FWCFB 297 | Confirmed the new health professional structure and rates, based on AQF level and years of experience, phased in over up to five stages. Also finalised increases for dental assistants and pathology collectors |
| 26 May 2026 | [2026] FWCFB 123 | Finalised the health professional changes, ruled out absorbing them into future wage reviews, and moved the start to 1 October 2026 |
| 7 September 2026 | [2026] FWCFB 231 and determination PR814029 | Made the first stage of new rates law from 1 October 2026 |
The first stage applies from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 October 2026. The later stages are due from 30 June in each of 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030. The Commission hasn’t yet made the determinations for those stages, and it has said the stage rates may be affected by future Annual Wage Reviews.
The new classification structure
The old Level 1 to 4 pay points are gone. Pay for a Level 1 health professional now depends on two things:
- The AQF level of your profession, listed in Schedule B of the award
- Years of experience in the profession at Level 1: 1st year, 2nd to 3rd year, 4th to 6th year, and 7th year onwards
Level 1 isn’t just for new graduates. It covers anyone who meets the requirements to practise in their profession. Experience counts across employers, so a physio with four years at another clinic comes in at the 4th to 6th year rate.
Above Level 1:
- Level 2.1: senior clinician, specialist, supervisor or educator with less than 5 years in that role
- Level 2.2: the same, with 5 or more years in the role
- Level 3: advanced clinician, senior specialist or section manager
- Level 4: manager with responsibility for budgets and strategy
The old rule for yearly pay point progression has been removed. Progression now comes from moving up the experience bands.
Where common allied health professions sit
| Profession | AQF level in Schedule B |
|---|---|
| Physiotherapist | 7 |
| Exercise physiologist | 7 |
| Occupational therapist | 7 |
| Podiatrist | 7 |
| Dietitian | 7, 8 or 9 (depends on the qualification held, or a higher one the employer requires) |
| Speech pathologist | 7, 8 or 9 (depends on the qualification held, or a higher one the employer requires) |
| Psychologist | 9 |
| Chiropractor | 9 |
| Osteopath | 9 |
| Myotherapist | 6 |
| Remedial massage therapist (listed as “Masseur, Remedial”) | 5 |
Some roles common in allied health clinics, such as Pilates instructors, exercise scientists and allied health assistants, aren’t listed in Schedule B. Under the award, an unlisted profession is placed at the AQF level of its standard minimum qualification. Some of these roles may also be covered by a different award, so check before you assume.
Staff already on the award before 1 October 2026
If someone was classified as a health professional under the award on 30 September 2026, they get the higher of their new rate or their old “retained” rate under the transitional arrangements in the award. In practice, check each existing employee’s old pay point against their new classification before assuming the new rate applies.
This matters for budgeting too. Some existing staff are on retained rates above their new rate, so they’ll see little or nothing from the early stages. For example, someone on the old Level 4 pay point 4 keeps $2,705.10 a week. That’s higher than the new Level 4 rate of $2,499.10, and higher than the indicative 2027 and 2028 stage rates too. The calculator below uses the new rates, so adjust for anyone on a retained rate.
What stage 1 meant for new graduates
For new graduates, the 1 October change was small. Under the old structure, a graduate physio with a 4-year degree started at Level 1 pay point 3, which was $1,273.40 a week from 1 July 2026. A graduate starting now is on $1,308.80, which is $35.40 (2.8%) more.
A graduate with an entry-level Masters started at pay point 4, which was $1,317.20 a week. A new Masters graduate hired now starts on $1,308.80, slightly less. Staff who were already classified on 30 September 2026 keep the higher retained rate.
The bigger rises for graduates and early-career clinicians come in the later stages.
The new rates
These are the minimum weekly rates for a 38-hour week. The 1 October 2026 rates are in force now. The July 2027 to July 2030 rates are the Commission’s indicative stage rates, which don’t include future Annual Wage Review rises. The Commission says the stage rates may be affected by future wage reviews, so expect the real rates to be higher.
Level 1, AQF 7 (physio, EP, OT, podiatrist)
| Years | From 1 Oct 2026 | Hourly now | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | Rise to 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st year | $1,308.80 | $34.44 | $1,374.40 | $1,440.00 | $1,505.60 | $1,571.10 | 20.0% |
| 2nd to 3rd year | $1,409.00 | $37.08 | $1,470.30 | $1,531.60 | $1,592.90 | $1,654.30 | 17.4% |
| 4th to 6th year | $1,565.30 | $41.19 | $1,624.20 | $1,683.10 | $1,742.00 | $1,801.00 | 15.1% |
| 7th year onwards | $1,689.50 | $44.46 | $1,754.10 | $1,818.70 | $1,883.30 | $1,947.70 | 15.3% |
Levels 2 to 4
| Level | From 1 Oct 2026 | Hourly now | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2030 | Rise to 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Level 2.1 | $1,945.40 | $51.19 | $2,003.80 | $2,063.90 | $2,094.30 | $2,094.30 | 7.7% |
| Level 2.2 | $1,983.20 | $52.19 | $2,043.10 | $2,104.40 | $2,167.50 | $2,222.70 | 12.1% |
| Level 3 | $1,983.20 | $52.19 | $2,085.00 | $2,186.80 | $2,288.60 | $2,390.40 | 20.5% |
| Level 4 | $2,499.10 | $65.77 | $2,574.10 | $2,651.30 | $2,711.10 | $2,711.10 | 8.5% |
Levels 2.1 and 4 reach their final rate in 2029, so the 2030 figure is the same as 2029.
The AQF 5, 6, 8 and 9 rates (for example remedial massage therapists, myotherapists, psychologists, chiropractors and osteopaths) are built into the calculator below.
What about reception and admin staff?
Support services staff weren’t part of this increase, except dental assistants and pathology collectors, who have their own two-stage increase. Everyone else on the support services classifications gets the Annual Wage Review rise each July. The 2026 review added 4.75% from 1 July 2026, after 3.5% in 2025.
Some clinic reception and admin staff may be covered by a different award, so check which one applies to your team.
What it costs: worked examples
One graduate physio
A full-time graduate physio (Level 1, AQF 7, 1st year) is on $1,308.80 a week now. Ignoring experience increases and future wage reviews, the 2030 rate for that same band is $1,571.10.
That’s $262.30 more a week, or about $13,640 a year. With 12% super, it’s about $15,280 a year for one employee, from the pay rises alone.
An example clinic
Here’s a small clinic with four physios and a receptionist, all paid at the award minimum:
- Graduate physio, full time
- Physio with 2 years’ experience, full time
- Physio with 5 years’ experience, full time
- Senior physio at Level 2.1, full time
- Receptionist at Support Services Level 3 (check your own classification), 30 hours a week
Including 12% super, their yearly wage cost now is about $413,600.
| Scenario | Yearly cost from July 2030 | Increase on now | Extra paid, July 2027 to June 2031 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pay rises only (no wage reviews, no experience increases) | $465,571 | $51,962 (12.6%) | $135,862 |
| Pay rises plus a 3.5% wage review each July | $534,254 | $120,644 (29.2%) | $300,450 |
| Pay rises, 3.5% wage reviews and experience increases | $569,227 | $155,617 (37.6%) | $383,438 |
We’ve used 3.5% for the wage review, which was the 2025 increase. The 2026 increase was 4.75%. To estimate future rates, the calculator applies the wage review percentage to the Commission’s stage rates. That matches how the published stage rates were updated for the 2026 review, but the Commission hasn’t said exactly how it will apply future reviews.
The middle row is a sensible planning number, because there’s a wage review every year. The last row adds the cost of your team getting more experienced, which you’d pay anyway, but it all lands in the same budget.
What that means per consult
Say those four physios each see 30 consults a week for 46 weeks of the year. That’s 5,520 consults.
The pay rises alone (the first row) work out to about $9.41 per consult by 2030. That’s roughly $2 to $2.60 more per consult each year from 2027. Your numbers will differ, but it’s a useful way to think about fee reviews.
Calculate your clinic’s cost
Add each employee, choose their classification and experience, and adjust the assumptions. If you pay above the award, enter their current hourly rate and choose whether you’d keep your margin or only pay what’s required.HPSS Award pay rise calculator
Estimate what the 2026 to 2030 health professional pay rises cost your clinic. Add each employee, then adjust the assumptions. Rates last checked 20 October 2026.
Your team
Assumptions
What it costs
- Award rates from 1 October 2026 are from the Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 as varied by Fair Work Commission determination PR814029. Rates from July 2027 to July 2030 use the Commission's indicative stage rates, which exclude future Annual Wage Review rises. The calculator applies your wage review assumption to those rates. That matches how the published stage rates were updated for the 2026 review, but the Commission hasn't said exactly how future reviews will be applied.
- Support services staff (such as reception and admin) only get Annual Wage Review rises in this calculator. Dental assistants and pathology collectors have separate increases that aren't included.
- Costs use ordinary hours (up to 38 a week), 52 weeks a year and the casual loading where ticked. They don't include weekend, shiftwork or public holiday penalty rates, overtime, allowances or leave loading. Hours outside the award's span of ordinary hours can cost more.
- Level 1 experience bands: 1st year, 2nd to 3rd year, 4th to 6th year, 7th year onwards. Staff classified as health professionals under the award on 30 September 2026 may be entitled to a higher retained rate, which this calculator doesn't include. Levels 2.1 and 4 reach their final rate in 2029.
- This is an estimate for planning, not payroll or legal advice. Check your obligations with the Fair Work Ombudsman or an adviser.
Costs the award rates don’t show
The calculator uses ordinary hours. A few other things move your real cost:
- Weekend and public holiday work. Under the award, ordinary hours worked on a weekend by full-time and part-time staff are paid at 150%, and public holidays at 250%.
- Evenings and the span of ordinary hours. For private physiotherapy, chiropractic and osteopathic practices (and medical, dental and pathology practices), ordinary hours for day workers can fall between 7.30 am and 9.00 pm on weekdays and 8.00 am and 4.30 pm on Saturdays. For other practices, including OT, podiatry, psychology and exercise physiology, the default span is 6.00 am to 6.00 pm, Monday to Friday. Work outside the span may be paid as shiftwork (115%) or overtime (from 150%), depending on how it’s rostered. If you run evening or Saturday sessions, check clauses 13, 25 and 26 of the award.
- Casual staff. Casuals get a 25% loading on the minimum hourly rate.
- Super. The super guarantee is 12%. Since 1 July 2026, under Payday Super, contributions need to reach the fund within 7 business days after you pay your employee, so the cash goes out more often.
- On-costs. Leave, workers compensation and payroll tax (if you’re over your state’s threshold) all rise with wages. The calculator has a field for these.
If you pay above the award, or use contractors
Plenty of clinics already pay above the minimum, especially for experienced clinicians. If that’s you, the new rates may not force an immediate change for everyone. But by 2030 the minimums are much higher, and a margin that looks comfortable today may disappear. Run your actual rates through the calculator to see when each person’s pay would fall below the award.
Whether you can absorb an award increase into existing above-award pay depends on your employment contracts, so get advice before assuming you can.
The award covers employees, not genuine independent contractors. If your clinicians are contractors on a percentage split, the award doesn’t set their pay. But it does set what an employed clinician earns, and contractors will compare their take-home against it
How to get ready
- Classify everyone under the new structure. Note each clinician’s profession, AQF level and years of experience, and check your payroll applied the new rates from the first full pay period on or after 1 October 2026.
- Check retained rates for anyone classified as a health professional under the award on 30 September 2026.
- Put 30 June and 1 July in your calendar for 2027 to 2030. Most years there’s both a stage increase and an Annual Wage Review.
- Run the calculator with your team and a realistic wage review assumption, and add the result to your budget.
- Plan your fee reviews. Small, regular increases are easier for patients than one big jump. Reviewing fees each July, when the wage rises land, keeps it predictable.
- Look at non-wage costs. Admin time, unfilled appointments and late cancellations all cost you clinician hours you’re now paying more for.
- Talk to your team. These increases recognise the value of their work. That’s a good conversation to have, not one to avoid.
Where Clinic1 helps
Higher wages make every clinician hour more valuable. Clinic1 is built to protect those hours:
- AI notes and letters. The AI Scribe writes the note and letters inside the patient record, so clinicians spend less non-billable time on admin.
- Less front desk time. Patients book, reschedule and pay through the patient app, and cancellation fees are applied automatically under your policy.
- Fewer empty slots. Smart Waitlist offers cancelled appointments to patients in the app.
- Reporting. 24 pre-built reports and a caseload dashboard, so fee reviews are based on real numbers.
If you’d like to see it, start a 14-day free trial or book a walkthrough with me. Data migration is free from any practice management system.
FAQ
How much are the HPSS Award pay rises?
It depends on the classification. For a Level 1 physio, exercise physiologist, occupational therapist or podiatrist (AQF 7), minimum rates rise by about 15% to 20% between October 2026 and July 2030, before Annual Wage Review increases. Level 3 rises by 20.5%, Level 2.2 by 12.1%, Level 4 by 8.5% and Level 2.1 by 7.7%. Existing staff on a higher retained rate may see less.
When do the HPSS Award increases happen?
The first stage started from the first full pay period starting on or after 1 October 2026. Further increases are due from 30 June in 2027, 2028, 2029 and 2030.
Are the increases on top of the Annual Wage Review?
Yes. The Fair Work Commission rejected submissions that the increases should be absorbed into future Annual Wage Review increases. The 2026 Annual Wage Review added 4.75% from 1 July 2026.
What is the award rate for a new graduate physio?
A new graduate physiotherapist is Level 1, AQF 7, 1st year of experience. From 1 October 2026 the minimum rate is $1,308.80 a week, or $34.44 an hour, for full-time and part-time employees. Casuals get a 25% loading on top.
Do the increases apply to receptionists?
Not for most support services staff. Under the HPSS Award, only dental assistants and pathology collectors in the support services stream got increases from this review. Other support services staff, such as reception and admin, get Annual Wage Review increases.
Are the 2027 to 2030 rates final?
Not yet. They’re indicative stage rates published by the Fair Work Commission and don’t include future Annual Wage Review increases, which the Commission says may affect them. The Commission still needs to make the determinations for those stages.
Does the HPSS Award apply to contractors?
The award applies to employees. Genuine independent contractors aren’t covered, but make sure your arrangements are a real contracting relationship.
Sources
All sources are Australian and were checked on 20 October 2026.
- Fair Work Commission, Gender undervaluation: priority awards review, including [2025] FWCFB 74
- Fair Work Commission, [2025] FWCFB 297, [2026] FWCFB 123 and [2026] FWCFB 231
- Fair Work Commission, statements [2026] FWCFB 47 and [2026] FWCFB 216 (indicative stage rates)
- Fair Work Commission, Determination PR814029 (operative 1 October 2026)
- Fair Work Commission, Determination PR799308 (rates from 1 July 2026 under the old structure)
- Fair Work Commission, Annual Wage Reviews
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Health Professionals and Support Services Award 2020 (MA000027)
- Fair Work Ombudsman, Pay guides
- ATO, Super guarantee rate
- ATO, Payment deadlines for Payday Super
Telehealth in Clinic1 runs on Google Meet. Once each practitioner connects their Google account, you can flip a single toggle to turn any consultation into a video appointment — and patients get a join link straight from their booking confirmation.
Follow the steps below to get telehealth running for your clinic. Each practitioner will need to complete the Google account connection on their own profile.
Step 1: Connect your Google account
Head to Profile Settings under your name in the bottom-left corner of Clinic1, then connect the Google account you want to use for telehealth.
Important: each practitioner must link their own Google account to their own profile. A shared account won’t work — Google Meet links are generated per practitioner.
Step 2.Enable Google Meet on a consultation
Once your Google account is synced, head to the Appointment Builder, select an appointment, and create a consultation. You’ll now see a Google Meet toggle — flip it on for any consultation type you want to offer as telehealth.
Step 3. Join from the appointment tile
After a telehealth appointment is booked, you’ll see a telehealth icon on the appointment tile in your diary. Click it when you’re ready, and you’ll drop straight into the Google Meet.
Step 4. How patients join
Patients don’t need to do anything extra. Their booking and confirmation emails will include an Access button that takes them directly into the meeting at appointment time.
That’s it — you’re ready for telehealth
Once each practitioner has connected their Google account and Google Meet is enabled on the relevant consultation types, telehealth runs in the background — no extra software, no separate tools. Need a hand getting set up? Reach out to the Clinic1 team any time.
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Why clinics expect feature parity + more
After hundreds of conversations at APASC25, one message stood out: “If we switch platforms, it must do everything we do today—then make it better.”
That expectation is fair. Changing core systems shouldn’t feel like starting over. Your team needs a familiar, reliable base—and meaningful upside.
The new baseline: foundations are table stakes
What used to be “wow” features—appointments, patient records, billing, communications—are now the base layer of any modern allied health practice management software. Those foundations should be fast, reliable and invisible so clinicians can focus on care, not clicks.
- Appointments and scheduling
- Patient records and clinical notes
- Billing, payments and claims
- Communications and reminders
- Reporting you can actually use
Foundations aren’t our “strategy”; they’re our standard. The magic happens because the concrete is set.
Clinic1’s commitment: a seamless transition, zero compromise
We’ve designed Clinic1 for continuity first, transformation next—so you keep momentum while you upgrade.
- Feature parity by design: Core patient and clinic management are built-in, not bolted on.
- Familiar where it counts: Admins and clinicians recognise key workflows from day one.
- Change without chaos: Data migration, templates and mappings that respect how you already work.
- Performance + reliability: Speed, stability and security so your team can just work.
Then the “+ more”: innovation that compounds
Once the foundations are rock-solid, the real gains begin.
- Native AI (not novelty): context-aware summaries, follow-ups and workflow assists that reduce admin.
- Purpose-built modules:
— Classes: bookings, scheduling, attendance and payments for group programs
— Mobile & aged care: route-aware scheduling, offline-tolerant notes, on-site payments
— Multidisciplinary clinics: flexible roles, permissions and documentation flows
- Unified data model: one platform → richer insights across the patient journey without stitching tools together.
What switching to Clinic1 looks like
- Day 1: You can do everything you do today—appointments, notes, billing, comms.
- Day 30: Less admin friction; AI starts removing busywork.
- Day 90: You’re using features the old system couldn’t support—without adding more apps or fragile integrations.
How we de-risk change
- Migration playbooks by discipline and clinic type
- Parity checklists for admins pre-go-live
- Pilot feedback loops to validate the “+ more” in real workflows