Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) are critical to people's ongoing assessment, treatment and rehabilitation throughout their illness episodes. They support people of all ages in their recovery, helping them to return to work and to participate in sport or education. They enable children and adults to make the most of their skills and abilities and to develop and maintain healthy lifestyles. AHPs have an important role in supportive self care and in falls' prevention. They also provide specialist diagnostic assessment and treatment services.

The Allied Health Professions are a group of medical professions that support patients with their recovery. Physiotherapists for example promote rehabilitation and dietitians will provide dietary advice for particular conditions. There are 9 such (AHPs) Allied Health Professions employed by NHS Fife;

  • Art Therapists
  • Dietitians
  • Occupational Therapists
  • Orthotists and Prosthetists
  • Orthoptists
  • Physiotherapists
  • Podiatrists
  • Radiographers
  • Speech and Language Therapists

Each of these professions can be studied in Scotland.

Which universities in Scotland run AHP courses?

Queen Margaret University (QMU)
qmu.ac.uk

Glasgow Caledonian University (GCU)
gcu.ac.uk

Robert Gordon University (RGU)
rgu.ac.uk

Strathclyde University Glasgow (Strathclyde)
strath.ac.uk

Art Therapist

Art therapy is a form of psychotherapy that uses art media to help people make positive changes to their health and wellbeing.

Professional body: British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT)
Courses available at: QMU

Diagnostic Radiographer

Professional body: Royal College of Radiologists
Courses available at: QMU, GCU, RGU

Dietitian

Dietitians use their expert nutritional and dietetic knowledge to help people to make appropriate lifestyle and food choices. They also advise those who need a modified or special diet to treat medical conditions.

Professional body: British Dietetic Association
Courses available at: QMU, GCU, RGU

Music therapist

Music therapists work with people of all ages, using music to help them make positive changes in their emotional wellbeing.

Professional body: British Association for Music Therapy
Courses available at: QMU

Occupational therapist

Occupational therapists help people of all ages to carry out everyday activities, which are essential for health and wellbeing. This might involve learning new ways to do things, or making changes to their environment to make life easier.

Professional body: Royal College of Occupational Therapists
Courses available at: QMU, GCU, RGU

Orthoptist

Orthoptists work with patients to assess and manage a range of eye problems, such as double vision or reduced vision.

Professional body: British and Irish Orthoptic Society
Courses available at: GCU

Physiotherapist

Physiotherapists work with people to help with physical problems which affect movement.

Professional body: Chartered Society of Physiotherapy
Courses available at: GCU

Podiatrist

A podiatrist, or chiropodist, diagnoses and treats a wide range of conditions associated with the foot and ankle.

Professional body: College of Podiatry
Courses available at: QMU, GCU

Prosthetist and Orthotist

Orthotists provide care for people who need externally applied devices to provide support to limbs and the spine, or to control part of their body due to paralysed muscles. Prosthetists are qualified to fit artificial limbs, called prostheses, to replace arms and legs lost through amputation or those missing at birth.

Professional body: British Association of Prosthetists and Orthotists
Courses available at: Strathclyde

Speech and Language Therapist

Professional body: Royal College of Speech and Language Therapists
Courses available at: GCU, Strathclyde

Therapeutic Radiographer

Professional body: Royal College of Radiologists
Courses available at: QMU, GCU