Released 14/10/2019
Today is International Allied Health Professionals Day – a chance to show our appreciation to, and inspire the next generation of, allied health professionals in the ACT.
ACT Chief Allied Health Officer Helen Matthews said allied health staff play a key role in the health and wellbeing of all Canberrans in a range of different health professions.
“The Allied Health workforce is incredibly diverse, representing more than 35 different professions that provide a range of diagnostic, technical and therapeutic services,” Ms Matthews said.
“We have over 1,400 allied health staff working across the public health system in the ACT, alongside nurses and doctors to provide a holistic approach to health care.
“They work right across the health sector, in our hospitals, out in the community as well as in research, education and public health, and they play a key role in helping people to recover from illness or injury and also to help in preventing health conditions from worsening.
“Today, is a great time to celebrate all that allied health professionals do to care for Canberrans.”
The University of Canberra Hospital (UCH), Canberra’s first purpose-built rehabilitation hospital, celebrated its first year of operations early this year in July.
The Director of Allied Health at UCH Todd Kaye, said the multi-disciplinary Allied Health teams providing both inpatient and outpatient services were integral to the success of the rehabilitation services provided at the hospital.
“Our Allied Health team at UCH consists of Psychologists, Social Workers, Physiotherapists, Exercise Physiologists, Speech Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Dietitians and Allied Mental Health Assistants,” Mr Kaye said.
“At the hospital we have a focus on high quality, evidence-based care, and work with our clinical colleagues to help patients achieve functional and psycho-social goals to return to the community with the best possible outcome.
“Our team at UCH also play an important role in training the next generation of allied professionals and assistants. We take students from an array of universities and teaching facilities across all the allied health professions at UCH, and work in close collaboration with the School of Health at the University of Canberra to provide students with an interdisciplinary learning experience that will assist with making them the exceptional Allied Health professionals of the future.”
International Allied Health Professionals Day is a grass-roots celebration of Allied Health Professionals that was started in the UK in 2018 by two clinicians.
Allied Health Professionals are encouraged to get together with their colleagues today to celebrate. For more information on how to get involved in the day, visit: https://www.health.act.gov.au/news/allied-health-professionals-day-ahps-day-14-october-2019
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