Solent NHS Trust recognised for redesigning workforce to best meet needs of communities

A dedicated team of Allied Healthcare Professionals and Nurses at Solent NHS Trust has been highly commended at the CAHPO (Chief Allied Healthcare Professionals Officer) Awards.

The team received the commendation at the Awards last night, for their work on transforming Solent’s Allied Health Professional (AHP) and nursing workforce through the development of advanced and consultant clinical practitioner roles.

The AHP and nursing team, which includes a Speech and Language Therapist, Podiatrist, Physiotherapists and Nurses, took up the challenge of radically redesigning the workforce, as set out in the NHS Long-term Plan, which argues for a broader, multi-disciplinary workforce to tackle the rising complex needs of our communities.

Knowing that Advanced and Consultant Clinical Practitioners roles are relatively unknown for Allied Health Professionals in the community, the team designed a framework for AHPs and nurses, focusing on workforce transformation, development, governance and supervision, mapping Solent’s existing workforce who are already delivering at this level and creating new roles in areas where patients require staff with advancing skills.

As a direct result of this work, over 350 Solent colleagues have attended conferences and workshops to improve their knowledge of advancing practice and provided highly positive feedback.  Significantly more staff started fully funded Advanced Clinical Practice Masters (MSc) courses last month, 12 AHP’s and nurses have been supported to undertake the ePortfolio (Supported) Route in recognition that they are already working at an advanced level and there is now a team of 9 Consultant Practitioners operating across AHP and nursing roles.

Samantha Hemingway, Deputy Chief of Nursing and Allied Health Professionals at Solent NHS Trust, said: “This commendation is well deserved – well done to the team. The work undertaken significantly boosts the ability of AHPs in these roles to work in broader, more complex and more agile ways, for the maximum benefit of our Hampshire and Isle of Wight communities. This work shows how the non-medical and medical workforces can work seamlessly together to achieve the best healthcare outcomes for people throughout their lives.”

Saturday 14 October is National AHPs Day, recognising and celebrating the work of Allied Health Professionals in Solent, wider Hampshire, the Isle of Wight and beyond. Use the hashtag #AHPsDay on social media to show your support.