AHPs make up the third largest clinical group in the NHS workforce and are degree-educated autonomous professionals who specialise in different therapy roles.[2] There are 15 different types of AHPs that all maintain protected titles and are regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC):[3]

1. Arts therapists

2. Biomedical scientists

3. Chiropodists/podiatrists

4. Clinical scientists

5. Dietitians

6. Hearing aid dispensers

7. Occupational therapists

8. Operating department practitioners

9. Orthoptists

10. Paramedics

11. Physiotherapists

12. Practitioner psychologists

13. Prosthetists/orthotists

14. Radiographers

15. Speech and language therapists

AHP Day was created in 2018 by dietitian Rachael Brandreth and Speech and Language therapist Carrie Biddle and is now an annual event that allows all AHPs in England and internationally to unite and celebrate their work.[4]  It also gives AHPs a chance to share with the rest of the healthcare community how their services are delivered and the impact on patient care.[5] Furthermore, the collaboration with other services across the country and internationally allows for sharing ideas, local achievements and new ways to deliver services that can improve quality of care, patient outcomes and reduce costs.[5] It is also a chance for us to encourage others to consider a career working as an AHP.

There are likely to be more changes to healthcare delivery in the future, reflecting the development of new technologies such as AI and more sophisticated clinical IT services and digital apps, helping to give patients more choice and control over their care.[1,7] These go hand in hand with increased public expectation of healthcare services.[7] The HCPC are working to ensure their regulation of AHPs can adapt to new health care models and technology and provide guidance and support for AHPs to maintain their professional integrity and keep up to date with professional standards and guidance.[7] There has also been a recent Ministerial commitment for reform of healthcare professional regulators and legislation, which the HCPC welcomes, so that the public is protected from unregulated and unqualified persons providing potentially harmful advice.[7]

The NHS Long Term Plan has acknowledged that AHPs are essential to help the NHS meet public demand.[6] Alongside this, Professor Suzanne Rastrick, OBE, Chief Allied Health Professions Officer, has launched the new AHP Strategy for England: AHPs Deliver, which has expanded on previous strategies by emphasising the impact AHPs have on the delivery of high-quality services for health and social care.[5,6] This new strategy document encompasses the whole AHP community, including support workers, assistant practitioners, registered professionals, pre-registration apprentices and students, whilst also reflecting the varied multidisciplinary teams that work in the AHP community. [5,6]

Another new initiative has been the launch of Neighbourhood health services, which can give patients faster, tailored care at home and reduce pressure on acute health care services.[1,10] Such initiatives also aim to reduce healthcare inequalities and ensure services can meet the specific needs of the communities they serve.[6,10]

Crowdsourcing has been used to develop the 2025 AHP strategy and this was to ensure that the opinions and views of the public would be listened to and incorporated into future service developments.[6]  ‘People first’ and ‘optimising care’ are the key areas the strategy document focuses on.[11]