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Building on Success - Future Directions for the Allied Health Professions in Scotland
Anne Jarvie, CBE, RGN, RM, BA
Chief Nursing Officer
Directorate of Nursing
Scottish Executive Health Department
Introduction by the Chief Nursing Officer
The Allied Health Professions are making a real difference to better health in Scotland, now and for the future.
Nearly 9000 Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) and their support staff work throughout NHSScotland. Significant numbers are also employed in community care and housing services, in education and, increasingly, in jointly managed health and social care initiatives.
The term 'Allied Health Professions' has been used throughout this document, to ensure consistency in the use of this global and unifying title. It reflects the natural affinity these diverse professions have with each other, while recognising their individuality and uniqueness.
This is an exciting time for the nine professions who come under the AHP umbrella, a time for them to build on their achievements and create their vision for future growth and development.
This document is for each of those individual professions, their students and support workers. It is for NHS Boards, employers and educators of AHPs, AHP leaders, key stakeholders such as the voluntary sector and, most importantly, it is for people who use their services.
Over 1200 AHPs and stakeholders participated in the national consultation process to develop the document. Six focus groups were staged around Scotland. Numerous meetings were held with each of the nine professions, managers, junior staff, students, support workers, the voluntary sector, people who use AHP services and other stakeholders. And a website, live web chats and video conferencing enabled those in remote and rural areas to participate in the consultation process.
Central to the process was the belief that individuals and communities have a vested interest in the services provided by AHPs, and should share in the process of developing accessible, flexible services that meet their needs.
The consensus views of participants and the representative steering group have shaped this document, and my thanks go to all those who played a part in its development.
AHPs have developed a shared vision and identity through the national consultation process. This is sometimes, although not always, reflected in the way the professions link together at local level. AHPs need to build and strengthen relationships between their professional groups, and with colleagues and users of the health, social care and education services they provide.
Central to the delivery of better services is the availability of a skilled, highly motivated workforce, with lifelong learning at the heart of service planning and development. Students and new graduates are the future of all healthcare professions and their support and development is critical to the delivery of service excellence. We want to ensure that they have the best possible start to a successful career in the Allied Health Professions and are fully supported in their professional growth.
Better overall management of recruitment and retention across NHSScotland is a key priority. The aim is to ensure significant improvements in the way we plan the shape and size of the future NHS workforce - an important issue for AHPs. Meaningful career development for AHPs within clinical areas and services and flexibility and transferability into new roles (including consultant AHPs and Public Health Practitioners) will also be beneficial for individuals, patients, service users and organisations.
Making all of this happen requires strong and effective leadership and commitment. I believe that AHPs have a great deal to offer, and that the professions can and will go from strength to strength in implementing this document together. AHPs are rising to the challenges of delivering a modern, patient-centred NHS, redesigning and streamlining the care journey in partnership with other health and social care colleagues. This is a time of opportunity, and I feel confident that AHPs will use this document to build on their achievements and transform the vision into reality.
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