Health and Social Care

Allied health professionals (AHP’s) apply their expertise to diagnose, treat and rehabilitate people of all ages across health, education and social care. Here in Scotland, the AHP group includes arts therapists, dieticians, occupational therapists, orthoptists, paramedics, podiatrists, prosthetists and orthotists, physiotherapists, radiographers (diagnostic and therapeutic) and speech and language therapists.

AHPs are capable of having an immediate impact on people’s lives. Most people who use services want to live independently in their own homes for as long as possible.  AHPs ensure that resources are put to good use by reducing unnecessary admissions to hospital and care, enabling us to live at home for longer, whilst providing alternative pathways to secondary care.

As a first-point-of-contact, AHPs make a vital contribution to faster diagnostics and earlier interventions in primary care. Their “enabling” ethos is rooted in relationship based and person-centred approaches, promoting supported self-management which helps to drive integration at the point of care.

AHPs are great at promoting physical activity, healthy nutrition, and return to work through vocational rehabilitation services.  Particularly with Local Authority-based Occupational Therapists, AHPs are central to shaping, developing and reviewing person-centred goals for delivery by homecare teams. There’s strong evidence to suggest that this partnership-based approach can reduce homecare hours by around 30 percent with true integration of community rehabilitation teams.

Pertinently, AHPs have always worked across health and social care sectors and organisational boundaries to focus on the needs of people who use services, their families and carers. Now is the time to raise the visibility, accountability and impact of AHPs across health and social care services in Scotland.

Please download our vision within The National Delivery Plan for AHPs or contact Jan Beattie at the Scottish Government for more information.