Wellness Services Regulation Published

The Wellness Services Regulation, published in the Official Gazette dated 04.07.2026 and numbered 33300, introduced important regulations regarding the promotion of healthy living, the enhancement of quality of life, and the provision of preventive and health-promoting services within certain standards.

Published by the Ministry of Health, the Regulation sets out the principles regarding the establishment, operation, personnel, physical conditions, scope of services, records, inspection, and sanction processes of wellness centers and wellness units that may be established by public institutions and organizations, private legal entities, and real persons.

Within this scope, practices that are directly related to the field of physiotherapy and rehabilitation, such as physiotherapy services, exercise and physical activity services, rehabilitation services, hydrotherapy applications, manual practices, and soft tissue techniques, are included.

The Regulation once again highlights the importance of the role of physiotherapists in preventive, health-promoting, and supportive healthcare services. In particular, areas such as healthy aging, increasing physical activity, supporting quality of life, preserving functional capacity, and planning individualized exercise programs are considered among the fields that strengthen the position of the physiotherapy profession within contemporary healthcare services.

The Regulation states that the services to be provided in centers and units must be planned within individualized programs by taking into account individuals’ age, general health status, existing risk factors, and lifestyle. This approach directly overlaps with the principles of individualized assessment, clinical reasoning, and safe practice in physiotherapy and rehabilitation applications.

In addition, within the scope of the Regulation, it is mandatory to issue a personnel work permit for healthcare professionals who will work in wellness centers and units, to provide services within licensed centers or units, to ensure privacy and the protection of personal data, to make the necessary arrangements for emergency situations, and to record all services provided. These provisions are important in terms of improving service quality, ensuring the safety of patients/service users, and conducting professional practices within an inspectable framework.

As Istanbul Gelişim University, Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation, we attach importance to our students and graduates following current legislative regulations concerning their professional practice areas. The role of physiotherapists in services aimed at protecting and improving health is not limited solely to treatment processes; it is also of great importance in supporting healthy living, increasing awareness of physical activity, and contributing to public health.