Allied health professionals (AHP)
Allied health professionals (AHPs) work with people to help them protect and improve their health and well-being. They work with people at different ages. There are thirteen professions recognised as allied health professions in Northern Ireland.
What allied health professionals do
Allied health professionals (AHPs) help people:
- improve movement or mobility
- overcome visual problems
- improve nutritional status
- develop communication skills
- restore confidence in everyday living skills
- access specialist housing equipment and assistive technologies
They work with government and non government agencies, charities and in many different areas including hospitals, people’s homes, clinics, surgeries, schools, and early years services.
Physiotherapists
Physiotherapists are experts in body movement.
They work to restore movement, mobility and activity, and to prevent illness and injury so that people can be independent and continue to work.
Occupational therapists
Occupational therapists treat and rehabilitate people with physical and mental health conditions.
They use specially selected activities to help people who are temporarily or permanently disabled to be as independent as possible.
Speech and language therapists
Speech and language therapists provide services to help children and adults who have problems communicating.
They can help you:
- make speech sounds
- understand spoken language
- use language and sounds appropriately
They work with people who have stammers.
Therapists also treat people with difficulty feeding, chewing and swallowing.
Dietitians
Dietitians make sure that people with certain conditions are getting the right nutrition from their food.
Diet is important in treating:
- diabetes
- coeliac disease
- malnutrition
- renal disease
Dietitians educate patients about the best food choices to manage their condition and get enough nutrition.
Art therapists
Art therapists use art materials to encourage people’s self-expression and reflection.
Prosthetists
A prosthetist provides care to people who need an artificial limb or another device to support them in their daily tasks.
They can help your recovery if you have difficulty with physical movement.
Orthotists
An orthotist works with doctors to make and fit braces and splints for patients.
They custom fit braces for patients with spine or limb injuries and people born with or who develop deformities to the feet, limbs or spine.
Music therapists
Music therapists use music creatively to help people address social, emotional or physical problems.
They work with children and adults of all ages and social backgrounds in various settings to help them understand inner conflicts through music.
Orthoptists
Orthoptists are specialists in diagnosing, managing and treating conditions to do with eye movement, coordination and vision.
These conditions include:
- amblyopia (lazy eye)
- defective binocular/3D vision
- abnormal eye movements caused by injury or disease
- diplopia (double vision)
- strabismus (squint)
Podiatrists
A podiatrist (also known as a chiropodist) is a specialist who provides medical diagnosis and treatment of foot and ankle problems including:
- sprains and fractures
- bunions
- heel pain/spurs
- hammer toes
- neuromas
- ingrown toenails
- fungal toenails
- warts
- corns and calluses
Radiographers
There are diagnostic and therapeutic radiographers.
Diagnostic
A diagnostic radiographer uses x-ray machines, ultrasound machines and other imaging technology to examine patients.
They are responsible for acquiring the image and may interpret the images to diagnose illnesses and injuries.
They can contribute towards establishing treatment plans and may also be involved in intervention procedures, for example, the removal of kidney stones.
Therapeutic
A therapeutic radiographer treats cancer.
They work with clinical oncologists, medical physicists and engineers and are responsible for the planning and delivery of accurate radiotherapy treatments using technical equipment.
The accuracy of these is critical to treat the tumour and destroy the diseased tissue while minimising the amount of exposure to surrounding healthy tissue.
Paramedics
Paramedics are health professionals who use their clinical expertise to assess and treat patients, supply and administer medicines, manage, discharge and refer patients in a range of emergency or out of hospital settings.
They work in a range of health and care settings and may specialise in clinical practice, as well as in education, leadership and research.
Dramatherapist
Dramatherapists offer a safe environment for an individual or group to explore, address and deal with personal and social problems such as:
- grief
- anxiety
- personal growth
They use various methods including:
- stories
- puppetry
- improvisation
- drama and movement
to help you explore past experiences and self-express in a way that might be easier than directly talking. Movement and objects can be also moved expressively without words.