Allied Health Professionals Day (AHPs Day) began in the UK in 2018 after a dietitian and speech/language therapist had the idea of an allied health appreciation day. The idea received huge support both from allied health leaders and colleagues on social media – and so AHPs Day was born.
AHPs Day is now celebrated annually on the 14th October. After its initial success in the UK, the event went global in 2019 and many allied health professionals and services in Australia joined in.
The aims of this movement are twofold – to bring allied health professionals together to celebrate the work they love doing, and to raise the profile of allied health professionals and the important role they play in health and social care systems. This is achieved by allied health professionals coming together, both in workplace events and online, to share their stories, highlight their achievements, and promote their value.
Allied health includes a diverse range of qualified professionals working across different sectors, settings and areas of practice. They work with people from all walks of life, making a difference that is often poorly captured or recognised. In Australia, allied health professionals make up almost a third of the workforce in the health sector, working alongside doctors and nurses to assess, diagnose, prevent and manage a range of health conditions. By delivering evidence-based practice as part of multidisciplinary care teams, they support excellence in clinical care and improved health outcomes.
AHPs Day is a day for allied health professionals to shine – to celebrate (and be celebrated) and share how they work, care, connect and inspire. This is reflected in the social media hashtags that are used to promote the event internationally – #proudtobeAHP #strongertogether
AHPA supported AHPs Day in 2019 and is proud to be doing so again in 2020. Find out more about AHPs Day 2020 and how to get involved. This event is an important opportunity to celebrate our allied health workforce and bring its contribution to the fore.