Leadership for Allied Health Professionals Authors: Dr Ros Leslie, Dr Nicky Eddison and Edward Lee Trust: RWT Allied health professionals (AHPs) are the NHS’ third largest workforce, practising in most clinical pathways across all stages of the patient’s pathway, working across organisational boundaries and contributing to the transformation of healthcare1. Strong and effective leadership is therefore crucial. The introduction of senior leadership positions in Trusts is more likely to lead to the sharing of AHP innovations that had a positive impact on patients’ and system outcomes. Moreover, the more senior an AHP leader, the more engaged AHPs are in improvement work2. Strategic Chief AHP leadership therefore benefits improvement activity, as well as influencing the AHP workforce on the Trust’s priorities3. Thus, the need for professionally diverse leadership, including senior clinicians at board level, increases the likelihood of meeting the complex challenges facing the NHS4. Successful leaders will build on profession-specific, clinical foundations to take on multi-professional, system-wide and strategic activities3.
May 2022
21
