Allied health professions

Allied Health Professions (AHPs) is the third largest clinical workforce in the NHS.

They are degree-level professions, regulated by the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC).

AHPs are professionally autonomous practitioners who assess, treat, diagnose and discharge patients.

At RWT, this means that they support patients and their families across our hospital, education, and community settings – from birth through to end of life.

As leaders and clinical practitioners, AHPs are actively involved in delivering person-centred care that is based on evidence and best practice.

This means focusing care on the needs of the individual – ensuring that people’s preferences, needs and values guide our clinical decisions, and providing care that is respectful.

Our AHPs make a crucial contribution to patient care, by working with the wider teams. This also includes colleagues from social care and education organisations.

To watch a video on any of the AHP professions below, please click on the relevant role.

• Orthotics
• Orthoptics
• Paramedics
• Speech and language therapy
• Physiotherapy
• Dietetics
• Occupational therapy
• Operating department practitioner
• Diagnostic radiographer
• Therapeutic radiographer
• Podiatry

Our Chief AHP is Dr Rosalind Leslie PhD, MCSP.

Dr Leslie is the professional figurehead for all AHP groups employed by RWT. She provides AHPs with a single point of visibility and accountable professional leadership across the Trust.

The Chief AHP provides expert advice to Executive Directors on all matters affecting AHPs, and represents AHPs as appropriate on Boards and committees to ensure AHPs have a voice.

See the video below for what a typical day involves for our Chief AHP