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Building on Success - Future Directions for the Allied Health Professions in Scotland
Malcolm Chisholm, MSP
Minister for Health and Community Care
Scottish Executive Health Department
Foreword by the Minister for Health and Community Care
Enthusiastic and committed to excellence, the Allied Health Professions are delivering patient- centred care that is highly valued by the people who use their services. They are emerging as key players in the new integrated health systems of NHSScotland.
Working towards a healthier Scotland requires a team effort, an equal partnership between staff and patients, and more than ever the skills and expertise of the Allied Health Professions (AHPs). They are seizing opportunities to lead change and improve services in the community and hospitals, and to participate in partnership working. They are playing their part in shaping a multi-professional future for healthcare in Scotland.
AHPs make a massive contribution to the health and wellbeing of the people of Scotland. Health promotion is integral to the role of many of these professions and The Scottish Executive is committed to supporting and developing their contribution to public health. Children, older adults and people of all ages who experience illness, disease and disability or have special needs value the particular contribution that AHPs make to their treatment, recovery and quality of life.
The skills, knowledge and expertise of AHPs are valuable resources for patients and the wider healthcare team, and they will be essential to the delivery of the Scottish Executive's plan for NHSScotland,
Our National Health: A Plan for Action, A Plan for Change. AHPs are already reducing waiting times through new ways of working, providing early intervention which may help to avoid admission and enabling individuals to live independently, reducing dependency on care services within the community.
This document builds on what is already happening and describes both the development of AHPs and their increasing role at the centre of service delivery and change. They have not always received the recognition they deserve in the past, but each of the Allied Health Professions has something unique to contribute and I am determined to value and empower these key members of the healthcare team. This document supports and encourages their leadership in promoting creative thinking and challenging assumptions about how health care should be delivered.
I am convinced that the commitment and energy shown by AHPs, which is so valued by the people who use their services, will be the cornerstone of their future growth and development.
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