The SoR is one of 14 AHP bodies that have worked with Public Health England, NHS England and Improvement and The King’s Fund to develop a framework to help all AHPs consider their role in reducing health inequalities.
The framework has been created with insights from more than 1,000 AHPs to help individual professionals find their own unique role in the movement and explore ways to maximise their contribution.
It contains examples of best practice and offers a platform to connect AHPs to resources that can help guide future efforts in tackling health inequalities.
SoR professional officer for clinical imaging and research Dr Tracy O’Regan said:
This is an excellent framework that highlights for radiographers, clinical imaging and radiotherapy teams the steps they can take to try and reduce the health inequalities that people experience across the UK.
The framework is based on a foundation of awareness, action and advocacy, which starts with each professional and includes care of patients, clinical teams, pathways and service groups, communities and networks and systems of care.
It includes patient and workforce inequalities. Please do take time to read the framework and explore how our profession can take action to reduce the inequalities that our patients and staff experience.
Linda Hindle, deputy chief AHP officer for England, said:
People sometimes think that the concept of health inequalities relates only to people working at population level and not practitioners, who focus mainly on the care of individuals. But there is growing recognition that this is not the case. It is something that affects every one of us, whatever our role. Each of us can make a difference by better supporting the individual person you’re caring for, and by seeing that person as part of their community and the population.
She added: "With more than 4 million client contacts every week, AHPs hold tremendous power to tackle health inequalities. The AHP community has played an important role in the efforts to face and overcome Covid-19. The challenge now is to consider our role in minimising health inequalities within our communities."
You can read My Role in Tackling Health Inequalities: a Framework for Allied Health Professionals by visiting kingsfund.org.uk.
