Keynote speaker addresses Allied Health Professionals conference at Wycombe Hospital

30 March 2012

Over 120 Allied Health Professionals employed by Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust, attended a conference earlier this month at Wycombe Hospital, which showcased best practice across allied health services and included a keynote speech by Karen Middleton, chief health professions officer from the Department of Health.

The conference enabled Allied Health Professionals including, physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, podiatrists, radiographers, speech and language therapists and orthoptists to come together to share best practice and celebrate key achievements.

Anne Eden, chief executive, opened the day by introducing keynote speakers and staff, and highlighted the importance of promoting ways in which therapies are integral to rehabilitation/reablement, long term conditions and end of life care for both children and adults.

Keynote speaker Karen Middleton, spoke about the opportunities for Allied Health Professionals to play a critical role in the future of the NHS as the key themes of rehabilitation and reablement are an important focus of the national agenda for the NHS. However, she noted the need for Allied Health Professionals to work more closely together and to market themselves as a key brand within the healthcare environment.

Karen said: “I am very impressed by the real buzz and motivation of the allied professionals I have met today and to hear about the exciting initiatives and achievements taking place here in Buckinghamshire.  In addition, today was also about all the different allied health services coming together, sharing their experiences and looking at new ways of working together to enhance their huge contribution to service provision.”

An example of pioneering work taking place by Allied Health Professionals, and presented at the conference, is a project developed by the Speech and Language Therapy Team. In partnership with Buckinghamshire County Council and Steps Consultancy, a teletherapy service is being set up to provide remote computer based therapy using teleconferencing software, which enables the therapist and client to interact and see each other (and the therapy programme) on screen at the same time.  Not only does this cut down travel time and costs but the clients can practice their programme as many times a week as they want from the comfort of their own home.

During the event, attendees had the opportunity to view a wide range of poster displays and interactive stalls demonstrating the breadth of therapy interventions provided to service users in Buckinghamshire.

In partnership with the Trust, the conference was organised by the Allied Health Enterprise Development Centre, a joint venture between Buckinghamshire New University and Allied Health Solutions.