News

Name: Jessica Aka 

Job title:  Falls & Practice Development Lead Occupational Therapist 

Department/area/division: Corporate division 

How long have you worked at North London NHS Foundation Trust (or one of its predecessors)?  2.5 years – prior to joining the Trust I have predominantly worked in physical health services.  

Tell us a bit about your role:  My role is quite varied – I oversee falls practice as well as supporting AHPs with practice development opportunities, I review Falls incidents to support teams with their falls practice, and I am currently finishing off the inaugural NLFT Falls Policy.  We have a Falls steering group which meets quarterly, and we are trying to get the Falls champions scheme up and running once more.  

What do you love about your job? I love helping to prevent falls and as an Occupational therapist I am very client-centred in my perspective! Falls in hospitals are the most commonly reported patient safety incident, and they can have a devastating impact on patients’ lives.  I also love working alongside my colleagues and taking on new challenges. 

What can be a challenge? I sometimes miss the clinical work I had in my previous roles, and I find sitting in front of a desk for too long a challenge! 

Of our Trust values, which one resonates with you most and why? We work together – in a comprehensive falls assessment professionals need to work together, along with the patient, to identify the risks and put actions in place to try and reduce these risks.  Falls are everyone’s responsibility! 

When you have 30 minutes of free time, how do you spend it?  I have a busy home life with two young boys but when I get free time, I enjoy playing tennis and chess and lying on the sofa watching movies and Strictly Come Dancing! 

The theme for AHPs’ Day 2025 is the 3 shifts: hospital to community; treatment to prevention; and analogue to digital. What does the theme mean to you?  

The theme highlights the critical transitions from hospital to community, sickness to prevention, and analogue to digital. AHPs are ideally positioned to lead these critical shifts.  

In a mental health setting, AHPs play a crucial role in bridging the gap between mental and physical health. They enable service users to safely return to and stay well in the community and are key in preventing further ill health.   

These shifts underscore the importance of continually investing in the development of our services to meet the evolving needs of our patients and embracing innovative technologies. 

What would you like to say to AHPs working across the Trust on this day?  Thank you to all the AHPs working across the Trust – your roles are valued and make a huge difference to patients’ lives, and in supporting the Trust to meet its objectives.

Read more about our AHPs at NLFT, what they do and how they are driving the three shifts set out on the NHS long term plan.