October 14 is national AHPs’ Day. A day to celebrate the incredible work and contribution of our Allied Health Professional (AHP) colleagues.
At UHSussex, we have over 1,000 AHPs who who help assess, diagnose and treat our patients and bring real diversity in terms of their skills and experience, working across eight specialisms – dietitians, occupational therapists, operating department practitioners, orthoptists, physiotherapists, diagnostic radiographers, therapeutic radiographers and speech and language therapists.
AHPs is a 24/7 profession that provides system-wide care. They focus on the prevention of ill-health alongside improving health and wellbeing to maximise the potential for people to live full and active lives within their family circles, social networks, and the workplace.
They form some truly incredible teams that have a huge impact on the delivery of care for patients. We want to celebrate and appreciate our brilliant AHPs, not just this one day a year, but every single day.
Thank you to all of our AHP colleagues for everything you do for our Trust and the excellent care you provide to our patients.
AHPs from overseas
We are proud to have welcomed Allied Health Professionals (AHPs), including radiographers, physiotherapists and occupational therapists from The Philippines, Nigeria, India and Singapore.
Sam Elliott-Olechnowicz, Senior Practice Educator for International Recruitment at UHSussex said: “All our colleagues who have joined us from overseas countries are a welcomed and valued addition to UHSussex. Bringing with them their own cultures, expertise and knowledge is a great opportunity for us all to learn from and with each other.
“When they arrive in the UK, we make significant efforts to ensure they feel welcomed and supported by offering a comprehensive induction period. We have been highlighted for our compassionate pastoral support previously and take great pride in our guide and toolkit. This contains useful information to support our new colleagues and has been recognised nationally by NHS England.”
The team have created some fantastic support materials to help make colleagues feel welcomed and comfortable in their new role and home, including a welcome video, pastoral support guide for AHPs, and an introduction to British cuisine and diet culture.
Abbas is a Senior Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist who moved from Nigeria to the UK last year.
He said: “My experience with UHSussex has been excellent, joining has made me feel happy, supported and welcome. My team are really supportive, I enjoy working in a multi-disciplinary team with shared decision making and I love treating my patients using biopsychosocial approach. I’m always putting my patients first with excellent care.”
Physiotherapist Robo, joined the Trust from Nigeria just before Christmas 2023.
He said: “My experience at UHsussex has been amazing. The team and every staff I have met has been wonderful. Good support and assistance since I started. What I love about my role is the care I give to patients and the smile I see on their faces when they get better. Also, I love the huge support I get from the team and how friendly everyone around me is.”