Key allies for public health

The role and function of the allied health professional (AHP) should never be underestimated. AHPs have an essential role to play in the provision of health and social care. They are engaged in millions of client contacts every week with a workforce of over 152 000, they practice across all health and social care settings including hospitals, in people's homes, clinics, surgeries, within the justice system, in local authorities, in private and voluntary sectors and primary, secondary and tertiary education (Allied Health Professions Federation (AHPF), 2019a). AHPs are the third largest workforce in the NHS and focus on the provision of consistent, person-centred, preventive and therapeutic care for children and adults across many sectors. These accredited and trusted professionals are undertaking a crucial function. The scope and depth of AHPs' skills and their ability to make every contact count means that they are ideally placed to lead, support transformative changes and continue to contribute to the public health agenda. This group of professionals spend time with millions of people in the UK every day and are clearly well placed to offer health advice and support to a variety of different communities and populations.