Current Context and Initiatives
Recent AHPF and AHP News
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AHP Summit
Last week the four Chief Health Professions Officers hosted a summit to discuss the longer term future for AHPs. The attendees included the AHPF, the professional bodies in their own right and AHP service leaders from across the four countries of the UK.
Paul Hitchcock, the Director of the AHPF, summarised one table discussion with a call for AHP leaders to take up commercial and political leadership alongside their clinical leadership role. See speech summary. The remainder of the wide ranging discussions together with the agreed outputs will be published shortly.
The recent election of a Conservative and Liberal coalition government after thirteen years of a Labour administration will lead to changes in both health and social care strategy and the detailed policy developed to implement the changes. However, irrespective of the detail, the driving force will remain the financial challenge in the economy and the need to maintain and enhance patient quality while saving money.
The AHPF has responded to the White Paper; Equity and Excellence, Liberating the NHS and the associated consultation documents (click here).
There have been two major strands of work in the last few months. The AHPF has engaged with and is continuing to engage with the new government and has produced materials to increase the level of overall knowledge of MPs about AHPs as well as communicating directly with ministers.
Other current and recent initiatives in England include:
- The AHPF is continuing to engage with the development of multi-professional commissioning to ensure that AHPs have an appropriate voice with local CCGs and the Health and Wellbeing Boards to ensure the appropriate provision of AHP services for patients and service users. Recently the RCGP hosted a key summit at which AHPF representatives took a highly visible and vocal profile (see details).
- Involvement with the development of the National Leadership Council Leadership Fellowships and the Clinical Leaders Competency framework. The AHPF is pleased to see the high proportion of AHPs who have been awarded NLC leadership fellowship places.
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AHPF engagement with the NHS Listening Exercise
On the 6th May the AHPF Board was invited to participate in one of the NHS Listening Exercise events with Earl Howe (Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Quality ) and Dr Kathy McLean (leading on Clinical Advice and Leadership). All of the twelve organisations participated in developing a robust message putting the case for AHPs to be overtly mandated to be at the decision making tables in their own right wherever they exist in the new structures. - QIPP and productivity initiatives including the production of Key Facts Bulletins
- Involvement with the AHP Professional Advisory Board
- Involvement with the NICE Quality Care Guidelines
- Involvement with the Referral to Treatment Time development
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Involvement with the Healthcare Professionals Commissioning Network
The AHPF is closely involved with this network on behalf of all AHPs. However, individual AHP membership will add weight to the current and future presence of AHPs in the commissioning agenda. - Involvement with the development of the National Leadership Council Leadership Fellowships and the Clinical Leaders Competency framework
- AHPF consultation responses
- Support to the Advancing Healthcare Awards
