Allied Health Professions Federation Northern Ireland (AHPFNI)

The Allied Health Professions Federation Northern Ireland provides collective, independent leadership and representation on key issues that impact its 13 member professions in Northern Ireland. There are 7693 people registered with the HCPC as allied health professionals (AHP) in Northern Ireland, with approximately 5548 working for the five Health and Social Care Trusts. Collectively AHPs account for the second largest group of health care professionals within the health service in Northern Ireland.  AHPs are a diverse group of practitioners each recognised for their autonomy and ability to be innovative in finding solutions to challenges and developing new way of working especially within multidisciplinary settings. These are skills which lend themselves well to the Transformation and Rebuild agendas, currently priorities in healthcare in Northern Ireland. AHPFNI meets quarterly with representation from all thirteen professions.

Vision

“The AHP workforce is positioned to improve the health and well-being of the population in Northern Ireland”

Mission

The AHPFNI provides collective AHP leadership and representation to influence national policy and guidance at a strategic level

AHPFNI strategic priorities:

  • Workforce
  • Service Transformation/the future of Health and Social Care
  • Visibility of AHPs/Leadership

We will deliver by:

Key aims of the AHPFNI are:

  • Collective representation of the thirteen allied health professions on key issues across the health service.
  • Ensuring recognition of the contribution and value of the whole AHP workforce in supporting patient centred care.
  • Ensuring that AHPs are included at a strategic level across the health and social care system and their expertise in health service delivery is recognised.

Highlights of 2020/21

  • In 2020 members of AHPFNI met with the Health minister Robin Swann to discuss workforce policy, representation, advanced practice and the rehabilitation agenda in NI.
  • In February 2020 members of the AHPFNI met with the health committee to discuss their work and the role of AHP’s in the transformation of HSC services:  Committee for Health Meeting Thursday 27 February 2020 | NI Assembly TV
  • Committee for Health Meeting Thursday 27 February 2020 | NI Assembly TV
  • 14th October 2020 - the Federation organised a webinar for AHP day. Approximately 200 people joined this event to celebrate the role of AHPs in the health service. The webinar can be watched back here
  • AHPFNI members attended the virtual NICON conference in 8th /9th October 2020. We were able to input into the panel discussion and AHPs were represented in a number of sessions.
  • AHPFNI provided a collective AHP response to the consultation on the draft Mental Health Strategy for Northern Ireland. The revised strategy was published in July 2021 with additions and amendments made to reflect the role of AHPs in this area more effectively. The published strategy is available here.
  • In August 2019 AHPFNI also provided a collective AHP response to the NI Stroke Consultation, more information can be found here.

As part of the Department of Health’s workforce planning programme, workforce reviews have been published for four professions to date:

Membership:

Chair of AHPFNI

Mrs Ann Tate – Diagnostic Radiography – Society of Radiographers

Vice Chair AHPFNI

Mr Allister Campbell – Podiatry – Royal College of Podiatry

Members:

The name of representatives and their organisations are set out below:

Deirdre Winters               CSP

Siobhan MacAuley        CSP

Tom Sullivan                   CSP

Vacant                              RCSLT

Rosalind Kyle                  RCSLT

Ruth Sedgwick               RCSLT

Denise Russell               College  of Podiatry

Allister Campbell            College of Podiatry

Julie Williams-Nash       College of  Podiatry

Emma Donnelly              BAMT

Jenny Kirkwood              BAMT

Heather Turkington        BADTh

Ann Tate                          SOR

Cathy Millar                     SOR

Leandre Archer               SOR

Lena Canavan                RCOT

Aisling Curran                 RCOT

Kate Lesslar                    RCOT

Vacant                              BDA 

Karen Robinson             BDA

Ruth Balmer                    BDA

Declan McClements      BIOS

Richard Huzzey              BIOS

Eileen McCourt               BAAT

Jonathan Bull                  BAPO

Jacqueline O’Neill          CoP

Rory O’Connor               CoP

Contact us:

If you would like to know more about the Allied Health Professions Federation Northern Ireland, or if you would like to attend a meeting as a guest, please contact us:

JanetMcGookin - Secretariat AHPFNI

Telephone: 02890 466485

Email: admin.ahpfni@ahpf.org.uk

Social media:

Twitter @AHPFNI

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