Allied Health Professions Handbook of Profession-Specific Descriptors for Public Health

AHPs play a crucial role in supporting the public's health. These descriptions, and the accompanying handbook, highlight their contributions across the four key domains of public health: the wider determinants of health, health improvement, population health, health protection, and health inequalities. They focus on where and how AHP support worker roles can influence and improve the public’s health and encourage the reader to reflect on their current and potential roles and responsibilities.

These descriptors provide a range of examples of the different ways each AHP profession engages in public health.  The list is not intended to be exhaustive.  Many examples will span more than one area of public health practice so for the purpose of simplicity these have been positioned in the most obvious domain.

 

Read about the individual professions and their work and impact on public health

You'll find descriptions of the work of allied health professionals in public health and a downloadable infographic that outlines their work and their clients and settings. You can use the infographic in your own work setting to outline the role of your profession in public health.

 

Dietitians

Dietitians and their work in public health

Osteopath

Osteopaths and their work in public health

Paramedic

Paramedics and their role in public health

Podiatrist

Podiatrists and their work in public health

Orthoptist

Orthoptists and their work in public health


This resource forms part of the Allied Health Professions hub which has a wealth of resources to support all Allied Health Professionals across the UK. As the third-largest workforce in the NHS, Allied Health Professions work across a range of valuable areas of health and well-being. The aim of the hub is to provide information, encourage best practice, and tell success stories of professionals who do incredible work every day to protect and improve the public's health.