News

Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) are the third-largest clinical staff group in the NHS.  There are 14 professions under the AHP umbrella.

AHPs play a pivotal role in supporting the NHS Long Term Plan and the Mental Health Workforce Plan for England (2017) highlights the vital and varied role of AHPs as first responders, in diagnosis, self-management, rehabilitation, and recovery.   

AHPs day is an annual occasion, celebrated on 14 October, that spotlights the significant contributions AHPs make care across our health and care system. The key theme for AHP’s Day 2024 is Quality and Safety, in alignment with the aspirations of the ‘People First’ and ‘Optimising Care’ areas of focus within the AHP strategy for England (2022-2027): AHPs Deliver and our North London Mental Health strategic aims.  

The AHP Community across the Partnership includes almost 300 Art Therapy, Dramatherapy, Dietetic, Music Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Physiotherapy, and Speech and Language Therapy colleagues. Whether it is our creative therapists offering service users new ways to explore their emotions, or our dietitians, physiotherapists and speech and language therapists ensuring the physical as well as mental health needs of patients are met, or our occupational therapists assessing and working closely with patients to help them identify risks in daily activities and providing strategies to regain independence, our AHPs are committed to delivering safe, effective, person-centred, and responsive care for our service users, their families, and our communities across North London and beyond.

Highlights from the past year and examples of the amazing work they do

In January 2024, our AHPs held a celebration event reflecting upon improvement and innovation initiatives spearheaded by AHPs across the North London Mental Health Partnership. The success stories showcased during this event, amongst many others, demonstrated the varied and meaningful impact that AHPs can have in improving quality and safety in mental health care. For instance, a creative exhibition, led by Art Therapy colleagues in the eating disorders service, empowered service users and staff in the service to present and reflect on their experience of care publicly to increase knowledge and understanding, as well as supporting overall well-being recovery, thus improving quality. Another quality improvement project, has increased service user safety on the older adult wards at Highgate Centre for Mental Health by upskilling colleagues to prevent falls.  

AHPs are widely recognised to be instrumental in reducing length of stay through their collaborative approach, integrating with community services and organisations, to ensure that service users receive care that is not only high-quality but also coordinated and continuous. AHPs in North London have been pivotal in transforming care pathways across boundaries. An example of this is our Ocupational Therapists (OTs) in the Specialist Dementia Service in Haringey, who work with multiple agencies and professionals across mental health, physical health, and social care in response to individual needs, to support service users living with Dementia, and their families and carers, to live well in the community. 

In line with our mission to improve population health and reduce disparities in mental health outcomes across North London, AHPs are identifying and addressing the specific needs of diverse populations, ensuring that everyone has access to the care they need, regardless of their background or circumstances. The Haringey ‘Tennis for All’ Project, provides tennis sessions to mental health services users in Haringey as well as those who have self-referred to Tottenham Talking, another community-based OT-led partner organisation. The sessions develop both physical and social confidence and skills, reducing isolation and improving health in the local population.  

An integral factor in improving outcomes for all is ensuring our AHP workforce is representative of the diverse population we serve and the AHP Race Equalities Group has continued to work on an ambitious quality improvement plan to foster an inclusive and supportive environment, where AHPs feel empowered to drive innovation. We have also continued to develop our workforce to ensure we have the right people with the right skills in the right places to offer safe and effective care. By creating career pathways and supporting professional development opportunities we are nurturing the next generation of AHPs.

These local service achievements are a testament to the profound influence AHPs have on quality and safety. AHPs across the North London Mental Health Partnership have also been instrumental in bringing care closer to home, ensuring that services are accessible, patient-centred, and tailored to the needs of the local population. Their efforts not only improve patient outcomes but also strengthen the healthcare system, ensuring it is fit to meet the challenges of the future.

Thank you

As we celebrate AHPs Day 2024, we honour the work of all AHPs in North London who, through their commitment to quality and safety, are delivering exceptional care, improving lives, and shaping the future of mental health care in North London. By embracing data, digital innovation, research, workforce development, alongside a commitment to reducing health inequalities, AHPs in the North London Mental Health Partnership have incredible potential to lead and transform our current and future services to ensure they are safe, effective, and responsive to the needs of our community. Let's celebrate their achievements and reaffirm our commitment to supporting AHPs in their vital work. 

We want to wish all of our AHPs across the Partnership a wonderful day on and a big thank you for the amazing work they do!