Celebrating Allied Health Professions day: Meet the teams transforming patient care - from hand injury rehabilitation to theatre safety #AHPday
Today (Tuesday 14 October) is Allied Health Professional (AHP) Day, highlighting the key role AHPs play in the NHS and delivering exceptional care to our patients and communities.
We want to take this opportunity to celebrate the roles and contributions of our AHP professions at UHDB. As the third-largest clinical workforce in health and care we've spoken to three teams about the different ways AHP professions are supporting the 10 year NHS plan.
Meet the Musculoskeletal team at FNCH providing therapy to support a wide range of referral sources including A&E, fracture clinic, GP and orthopaedics
Tim Barker, Clinical Physiotherapist explains: "Over the last few years we have worked hard to update our patient information to support patient self-management on our website. This includes up to date evidence-based information alongside supporting videos on a number of common conditions we see.
"This has helped us develop patient pathways, including a recent project implementing a new self-management pathway for patients attending the Emergency Department following an ankle sprain. It uses digital technology to deliver rehabilitation in aim of improving the self-management of acute ankle sprains and allocation of Physiotherapy resource.
"A patient information leaflet (PIL) was developed with self-management information which also included a QR code. The QR code directed patients to a website containing further self-management advice relevant to the acute, sub-acute and return to activity/sport phase. All patients attending ED with an ankle sprain were provided with the PIL in addition to posters displayed in ED."
The team saw that the impact of this scheme reduced the number of physiotherapy appointments by approximately 75%. Not only did it help with capacity in the physiotherapy team, but the development of a streamlined pathway also improved staff satisfaction in A&E.
By equipping patients with the tools and knowledge to effectively self-manage their conditions at home, helps reduce pressure on hospital teams supporting a shift towards proactive, preventative care by empowering individuals to take greater control of their health and reducing the need for reactive, hospital-based interventions.
In addition to this, the team have provided therapy - both through physio treatment and occupational therapy treatment - to support a wide range of community referral sources, including A&E, fracture clinics, GP's and orthopaedics, supporting the 'Hospital to Community' shift highlighted in the NHS 10 year plan.
The Pulvertaft Hand Therapy team are a dedicated team of specialist therapists committed to restoring function, independence, and quality of life for patients
Laura Adamson, Occupational Therapist talks about the team's role span across assessment, treatment, education, and rehabilitation - all delivered with compassion and innovation.
By prioritising early intervention, education, and empowering individuals with the tools to manage their own health, the team aims to reduce the need for more intensive treatment down the line. Building resilience, promoting long-term wellbeing, and preventing issues before they escalate.
She says: "We provide Specialist Rehabilitation and tailored therapy for patients recovering from trauma, surgery, or chronic conditions affecting the hand and arm. As a regional hand centre patients can be referred directly to us, allowing for faster diagnosis.
"Relaunched in January 2025, the Osteoarthritis Education Group is a therapist led initiative, supporting the 'Treatment to Prevention' section of the NHS 10 year plan, that empowers patients newly diagnosed with osteoarthritis thumb to take control of their condition through education, self-management, and peer support.
In just nine months, the Osteoarthritis Education Group has supported 64 patients, dramatically improving access to care and reducing waiting times from 11 months to just four to six weeks!"
Meet the Operating Department Practitioners (ODPs) keeping patients safe in theatres every day
Claire Crompton, ODP - Profession Radiation Protection Supervisor, explains: "ODP's are technologically minded. As a Radiation Protection Supervisor (RPS) I lead on the digital dose-tracking systems and image archiving (PACS) within the Hand Theatres. I ensure that the operating theatres are using digital dose meters and safety dashboards to ensure compliance and auditability.
"A proportion of my role is educating staff and patients about safe imaging and long-term benefits of dose minimisation. I contribute to the surveillance data that informs future preventative imaging strategies within UHDB and other organisations to share learning."
ODP, Surgical First Assistants Raegan Sutton and Rachel Crooks explain how supporting patients to receive efficient, safe and timely care prevents unnecessary delays to surgery, reduces waiting lists and in-patient bed stays, whilst supporting the NHS's analogue to digital strategy by promoting efficient, data-driven care and improving access to clinical information for enhanced decision-making.
Raegan explained how they are working within the 'Analogue to Digital' arm of the NHS 10 year plan. She said: "Electronic data obtained during pre-operative care supports the Trust in sharing information that is required for national auditing and surgical audits, registries, and digital outcome tracking essential for analytics and quality improvement.
"Accurate documentation for patient records is essential within the operating theatre environment as these records ensure accurate data is shared from pre-op right the way through to patient discharge. Patient instructions such as wound closure care instructions, post-operative exercises and physiotherapy along with pain management are important to prevent further complications and/or readmission to hospital."
Rachel continues: "The use of electronic health records support image sharing with multidisciplinary teams. As a Radiation Protection Supervisor within Hand Theatres I can assist to reduce unnecessary radiation exposure, lowering patient doses driving safer practice to protect both patients and staff."
This aligns with the NHS's analogue to digital strategy by promoting efficient, data-driven care and improving access to clinical information for enhanced decision-making."