Caroline Bovey BEM is chair of the BDA
I am pleased to wish all the BDA’s members a very happy AHPs Day 2019, on this, the second celebration of Allied Health Professionals and all the fantastic work we do.
AHPs Day is a wonderfully grass-roots celebration, and while the BDA and other associations have supported it, it was created by two AHPs (including one dietitian!), and is made successful because of the efforts of AHPs ‘on the ground’.
It is extremely positive to see so much multidisciplinary working championed as part of the day, because although alone we are relatively small professions (even if we punch above our weight) as a collective AHPs are the second largest healthcare workforce in the NHS. We all know how important our collaborative approach is to supporting patients, but its great to be shouting about it to a wider audience.
I’m looking forward to seeing what you will all contribute throughout the day, but also hope that you take the energy and enthusiasm that AHPs Day engenders and keep it going. We need to keep championing our professions and the brilliant work we do alongside other AHPs to colleagues and decision makers 365 days a year.
Malnutrition Awareness Week
This is also the start of UK Malnutrition Awareness Week, which is also in its second year. I am very pleased that the BDA are supporting the week working with BAPEN and the Malnutrition Task Force to highlight the often-hidden issue of malnutrition.
We all know the central role that dietitians play in the detection and treatment of malnutrition, helping the elderly or those with health conditions to improve their nutritional status and live more independently or recover more quickly. But the week is a chance to inform the public and policy makers about this important issue.
It’s also a great chance to collect more information and encourage much wider malnutrition screening by healthcare professionals. I urge you all to take part and contribute to the screening exercise. Find out more information on the week on our website and on the BAPEN site.