Thursday 14 October is Allied Health Professions (AHPs') Day, where we celebrate and recognise the hard work of those who positively impact and support healthcare. At Benenden Hospital we strive to continually support our staff so that we can provide the best possible experience for our patients.
What are the Allied Health Professions?
There are 14 AHPs: art therapists, drama therapists, music therapists, chiropodists and podiatrists, dietitians, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, osteopaths, paramedics, physiotherapists, prosthetists and orthotists, diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers, and speech and language therapists.
AHPs are the third largest healthcare workforce and they assess, diagnose, treat, discharge and/or refer patients, teach, train and mentor other clinicians, students, patients and carers.
At our CQC rated Outstanding hospital we are proud of our highly skilled podiatric Consultants, operating department practitioners, dieticians, physiotherapists and diagnostic radiographers, as well as our pharmacists.
AHPs' Day is an annual opportunity for all 14 professions to come together and celebrate being part of this workforce family. This celebratory day gives an opportunity to showcase to others the impact they make to the delivery of high-quality care.
How did AHPs' day start?
The day started not too long ago in 2018 when Carrie Biddle, a speech and language therapist and Rachael Brandreth, a dietitian, were sharing a bus home after a long, challenging day at work. They spoke about how AHP’s could deliver on their commitments therefore creating even more of an impact. From this, they had the idea of starting a social movement to celebrate everything that is great about AHPs.
So, they tweeted the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer, Suzanne Rastrick, to find out if they could have an AHP appreciation day. That evening, Suzanne retweeted that tweet and Twitter went crazy. There was so much support for the idea and in less than 24 hours there was buy-in from all 14 of the professions. On 14 October 2018 National Allied Health Professions Day was born.
Our on-site Pharmacy dispenses medicines to both inpatients and outpatients as well as providing information and advice about your medication. Andrew Turton, our Pharmacy Manager says: “One of the best things about being an AHP at Benenden Hospital is working closely with my fellow AHPs, alongside our nursing and medical colleagues, to provide the best care for our patients. Outcomes are better for our patients when AHPs are an active part of that team.”
Each year the support for this day grows as healthcare professionals continue to inspire people from around the world. Anyone can celebrate the great work that AHPs do, if you’re interested in about our current clinical job vacancies visit the careers page of our website.
Next year you could be a part of our AHP family!
Published on 13 October 2021