Allied Health Professionals

AHP’s are member of health and care teams who help to support care and treatment that can transform people’s lives. Within the broader group is a range of professional disciplines, so their remit is far-reaching. AHP’s work in a variety of settings, can be first contact or sole contact practitioners, and work at multiple points in the care pathway – diagnosis and preventions, to specialist disease management and rehabilitation. They work alone or with a range of other professionals; doctors, nurses, general practitioner (GPs), social worker and others; and in a range settings, for example hospitals, clinics, people’s homes, schools and colleges.

• Occupational Therapist helps people with physical and psychological problems to be more independent in home, work and social settings by assessing what they are able to do for themselves and providing support and encouragement. They provide support and guidance for families and carer.
  
• Podiatry (chiropodist) are healthcare professionals who have been train to diagnose and treat abnormal conditions of the feet and lower limbs. They also prevent and correct deformity, keep people mobile and active, relieve pain and treat infections. They can give you and your family advice on how to look after your feet, what type of shoes to wear.
  
• Orthoptist are the experts in diagnosing and treating defects in eye movement and problems with how the eyes work together, called binocular by vision. These can be cause by issues with the muscles around the eyes or defects in the nerves enabling the brain to communicate with the eyes. They work as part of the hospital team, but may also work in community healthcare and schools (including special schools). They work closely with ophthalmologists, optometrist, nurses and ophthalmic technicians, neurologists, teachers, health visitors, endocrinologists and other allied health professionals in multidisciplinary care.
  
• Physiotherapist often work as part of a multidisciplinary team in various areas of medicine and settings including hospitals, community health centers and clinics, some GP surgeries, some sports teams, clubs charities and workplaces. They are consider the body as a whole, rather than just focusing on the individual aspects of an injury or illness. Some of the main approaches used by Physiotherapists include:
  

• They can give general advice about things that can affect your daily lives, such as posture and correct lifting or carrying techniques to help prevent injuries.
  
• Exercises maybe recommended to improve general health and mobility, and to strengthen specific parts of the body
  
• Physiotherapist uses their hands to help relieve pain and stiffness, and to encourage better movement of the body.
  

• Paramedics deals with emergencies, giving people life-saving medical help.
  

• They provide immediate course of treatment enroute to hospital or at the scene.
  
• Use technical equipment, including ventilators to assist breathing and defibrillators to treat heart failure, in order to resuscitate and stabilize patients
• Carry out certain surgical procedures such as intubation (insertion of breathing tube)
  
• Monitor the patient’s condition
  
• Decide if admission to hospital is necessary and assess how to move patients and where the best location is for them
  
• Work closely with doctors and nurses in hospital accident and emergency department, briefing them as their patient arrives at hospital
  
• Assist with patient care in hospitals and health centers
  
• Provide advice over the from the control room
  
• Produce thorough case notes and report the patient’s history, condition, treatment and relevant hospital staff
  
• Clean, decontaminate and check vehicle and equipment to maintain a state of operational readiness
  

• Radiographer are highly professional practitioners who provide services which are central to delivering fast and reliable diagnosis of disease and curative and palliative care for cancer patients. They take responsibility for leading complete procedures within imaging or radiotherapy.
  
  

International English Language Test System

HCPC require all applicants applying through the international route to confirm their proficiency with the English language. The ability to communicate effectively in English is crucial to working as a health professional in the UK.

Applicants whose first language is not English and who are required to provide a language test certificate as evidence of their proficiency must ensure that it is or is comparable to IELTS level 7.0 with no element below 6.5 (or IELTS level 8.0 with no below 7.5 for speech and language therapists).

Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC)

The Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC formerly Health Profession Council, HPC) is a statutory regulator of over 344,000 professionals from the 16 health and care professions in the United Kingdom. The council reports its main purpose is to protect the public. It does this by setting and maintaining standards of proficiency and conduct for the professions it regulates. Its key functions include approving education and training program, which health and care professionals must complete before they can register with the HCPC; and maintaining and publishing a Register of health and care providers who meet pre-determined professional requirements and standards of practice.

General Osteopathic Council

The General Osteopathic Council regulator of the practice of osteopathy in the United Kingdom. The GOsC was establish in 1997 following the osteopaths Act 1993 to provide for the regulation of the profession of osteopathy with the primary aim of protecting the public.

The GOsC only accepts registration from practitioners who have a qualification in osteopathy that’s recognize by GOsC and who comply with their standards of practice. Osteopaths are required to renew their registration each year. As part of this process, the GOsC checks they have the correct insurance, are meeting professional development requirements and remain in good health.