Written question WQ96344

Allied Healthcare Professionals (AHPs) provide a preventative, pro-active solution focussed approach to meeting people’s health and wellbeing needs at or close to home in line with the Primary Care Model for Wales, A Healthier Wales and the Social Services and Wellbeing Wales (2014) Act.

The AHP Framework: Looking Forward Together sets the vision for the transformation of AHPs services including increased access, a greater proportion of the workforce in primary and community services, and the increase of community rehabilitation.

To support increased access, from April 2023 a recurrent £5 million AHP investment was provided to health boards to create additional community and primary care based registered AHPs and support worker posts.

To date this investment has resulted in 102 (WTE) additional posts. Health boards have reported system-wide impacts, including more timely access and response times to AHPs, avoiding unnecessary admissions, facilitating safe and timely return home for individuals from hospital and community rehabilitation.

The Welsh Government continues to invest record levels in the education and training of healthcare professionals. This reflects the importance of the development of the NHS workforce and ensuring the health service has the staff it needs now and for the future.

Despite the extremely challenging financial situation facing the Welsh Government, and in recognition of the importance of our NHS workforce, on 5 February I announced an investment of £294m for the education and training of healthcare professions for the academic year 2025/26.

HEIW are responsible for submitting the annual Education and Training Plan to the Welsh Government. The draft plan for 2026/27 will be submitted shortly.