Cameron,
Not sure of that rumour.
It may be related to the Gippsland Tafe Foot and Hand Carer course (Old News)
or the Podiatry Assistant course being run by the A.Pod.A.(Vic)
A.Pod.A.(Vic) (started last week)
or it could be part of the
productivity commision report in to healthcare, which advocates faster upskilling of health professional at all levels, from allied health assistants, through podiatrist to GPs etc. (released about a month ago)
Or it could be related to a presentation at the National Conference that spoke of the need for a flexible and adaptive workforce, that would increase competancies of the lesser trained, but still maintain safety (whatever that means)