The Ministry of Health has just published the Hauora Haumi Allied Health Report.
The report is the first of its kind collating information about 14 Allied Health professions and their impact on the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders. It identifies the untapped potential, opportunities and barriers these professions face.
The key findings of the report showed several common themes that allied professions shared, as well as highlighting the diversity and uniqueness of each profession.
The common themes emphasised the benefits of access to allied health services such as easing pressures throughout the health system, for example, on primary care and hospital and specialist services; reducing the time taken for a person to get a diagnosis, and preventing, detecting, and providing early intervention for health conditions, among others.
These benefits are well aligned to supporting government health priorities including health targets, the five preventable health conditions (diabetes, mental health, cancer, respiratory disease and heart disease) and the five key enablers (timeliness, quality, access, workforce and infrastructure).
Allied health professionals are qualified health practitioners who are an integral part of our health system. There are at least 43 allied health professions, each with a specialised body of knowledge and skills. There is limited public understanding of what allied health professions are compared to doctors, nurses, dentists and midwives.
Among the shared opportunities and challenges, the most common themes were retaining experienced health professionals, training future health professionals, the need for new models of care and service delivery, and educating the public of what allied health professions do and what they can offer.
This report is a starting point and will be updated to include more allied health professions over time.
