News

Each year on 14 October, healthcare teams across England celebrate the invaluable commitment, compassion and creativity our Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) bring to the NHS every day.  

This year’s AHPs Day theme highlights the “three shifts” set out in the NHS Long Term Plan:
1. Hospital Community
2. Sickness Prevention
3. Analogue  Digital

At North London Foundation Trust, our AHPs are at the forefront of making these shifts a reality across our services. They are transforming lives through holistic, person-centred care that supports people to live well in their communities.

1. Care Closer to Home – Supporting Recovery Where People Live

AHPs are central to the Trust’s mission of bringing high-quality care closer to home. Across community teams, inpatient wards, and specialist services, they work side by side with individuals to enable recovery and rehabilitation.

Occupational therapists help people rebuild routines and regain confidence and independence after periods of mental ill health. Dietitians, Physiotherapists and Speech and Language therapists support people to people to manage physical effects of conditions or medications.

Together, these professions bridge the gap between physical and mental health, supporting integrated care, which is key to admission avoidance and safe early supported discharge to community settings. 

2. Population Health and Prevention – Tackling Inequalities and Building Resilience

The NHS’s focus on prevention and population health aligns deeply with the AHP approach. Our AHPs look beyond illness to understand what truly matters to people.

At North London Foundation Trust, AHPs are leading work to address health inequalities and improve physical health outcomes for people with severe mental illness. Initiatives such as lifestyle and wellbeing programmes and community engagement projects demonstrate how AHPs bring prevention to life.

By working collaboratively across boroughs and with local partners, AHPs support our Trust’s role as an anchor institution – strengthening community connections and promoting inclusion, opportunity and wellbeing across North London.

3. Digitally Enabled Care – Innovating for the Future

Digital innovation continues to reshape how we deliver and experience care. AHPs across NLFT are embracing technology to enhance accessibility, safety, and the quality of our services.

Crucially, they are combining technological solutions with human connection – making sure that digital transformation enhances, rather than replaces, the therapeutic relationships that sit at the heart of mental health care.

AHPs are vital to our Trust’s mission of delivering compassionate, high-quality care.

On AHPs Day 2025, we celebrate not only their expertise but their vision: driving transformation, reducing inequalities, and ensuring that mental health care in North London is truly integrated, inclusive, and person led.

Thank you to all our AHP colleagues across North London Foundation Trust – your dedication and innovation make a difference every single day.