What Are Allied Health Professionals?
The allied health professions (AHPs) are a diverse group of statutory-registered practitioners who deliver high quality care to patients across a wide range of care pathways and in a variety of settings. More than 84,000 allied health professionals work in the NHS in England. Significant and increasing numbers work in other public services including social care and education, and in the private and voluntary sectors.
Allied health professionals are a vital part of healthcare systems world wide. They are healthcare workers who have been educated in a certain area of medicine, completed clinical training, and then are either registered, certified, or licensed in their field. There are hundreds of different types of positions in allied health, and their titles often vary by country. Allied health professionals are not doctors, nurses, or dentists, but instead are the experts and team members who work alongside or under their supervision.