Bernie O’Reilly, the new Chief Executive of the Health and Care Professions Council, visited Allied Health Professional colleagues at Eastbourne this week to talk with them about their work here at the trust and celebrate their achievements in delivering and improving care.
AHPs are employed by the trust in a variety of roles include Dietitians, Occupational Therapists, Operating Department Practitioners, Orthoptists, Orthotists, Osteopaths, Paramedics, Physiotherapists, Podiatrists, Radiographers and Speech and Language Therapists. Their work is essential to our patients and the care that the NHS provides.
Podiatry team with Vikki Curruth, Chief Nurse and Director of Infection Prevention Control
Anne Canby, Assistant Director of Allied Health Professions here at the trust, said: “We were thrilled that Bernie was able to join us to mark the week of Allied Health Professionals’ Day. Our AHP teams are very proud of their services and the care that they provide, and really appreciated the opportunity to talk to Bernie – one of the national leaders in the Allied Health Professional Field – about their work”.
Orthotics team with Richard Milner, Chief of Staff
Mr O’Reilly spoke to a number of our AHPs including apprentices, internationally-recruited AHPs, advanced and consultant AHPs. He also visited our musculoskeletal department and the therapy garden. Talking about his visit, he said: “I’m very grateful for the invitation to meet the teams here at Eastbourne, and hear from so many AHP colleagues about the care that they provide. The teams here have an incredible enthusiasm for what they do, which I felt absolutely energising. The work by staff in creating the therapy garden, the patients that benefit from it, the passion and compassion of staff in delivering that care – it was frankly inspiring”.
As well as Mr O’Reilly’s visit, over the last week the trust board have been out and about visiting AHP colleagues across the organisation. Anne added: “We all take a great pride in our work, and specialist care that we provide. AHPs provide services which are unique and distinct to the care provided by doctors and nurses, but fits seamlessly into that care to support our patient’s needs. It meant a lot to our AHP colleagues that our senior team marked Allied Health Professionals Day by coming to see them and hear about that work”.