Allied Health Professions
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve the integration of (a) dietitians and (b) allied health professionals in the delivery of (i) public health and (ii) primary care.
Answered by Andrew Gwynne
The Department is leading a collaboration between the nations of the United Kingdom, as well as 14 Allied Health Professional (AHP) bodies, including the British Dietetic Association, to refresh the UK Allied Health Professions Public Health Strategic Framework, which is available at the following link:
https://www.ahpf.org.uk/files/UK%20AHP%20Public%20Health%20Strategic%20Framework%202019-2024.pdf
Publication of the new strategic framework is planned for early 2025. It will include goals to increase the profile, capability, and leadership of AHPs, including dietitians, in public health, including how they integrate into the wider public health workforce.
The Department has also worked with the Council of Deans of Health to publish Public Health Curricula Guidance for Pre-Registration Education of AHPs, including dietitians, and with the Health and Care Professions Council to promote their revised standards of proficiency for public health.
The Network Contract Directed Enhanced Service (DES) was developed to support the establishment of primary care networks which would provide greater resilience for practices, and is available at the following link:
The Network Contract DES details that primary care networks are entitled to funding to support the recruitment of additional staff to deliver health services, which is referred to as the Additional Roles Reimbursement Scheme (ARRS). The ARRS includes first contact physiotherapists and paramedics and also dietitians, podiatrists, and occupational therapists. The inclusion of these AHP roles within primary care creates capacity within the system for the timely assessment and management of patients within the community, reducing the need for general practice (GP) intervention.
Together with existing GP staff, the new roles can help form a multidisciplinary team who can provide new services, better care for patients, and improve integration. GPs can refer to other AHPs not included in the ARRS as clinically indicated within the community.
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