The skills you need to be an allied health professional

摘要

Allied health professionals include occupational therapists, osteopaths, podiatrists and dietitians - people who can make a life-changing impact on the patients in their care. Think for a minute about the types of jobs within the NHS, says Professor Sara Demain, Head of School of Health Professions at the University of Plymouth. A large number of roles are regularly overlooked or, at least, under-appreciated - so the full list might surprise you. "Everyone always says 'doctors and nurses'," she notes. "But what about paramedics - the people who get patients to the hospital? Or radiographers who are needed if those patients require an X-ray? Or physiotherapists?" In fact, paramedics, radiographers and physiotherapists are just three examples of allied health professions (AHPs), the third largest workforce in the NHS. These are people who make a massive and sometimes life-altering positive impact on patients in a wide range of settings, including hospitals, community care, social care and voluntary sectors.