The winners of the 2023 Allied Health Professional (AHP) Awards were announced last week in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

The awards took place during the first-ever AHP Conference for the region, providing a platform to appreciate the essential role AHPs play in treating, rehabilitating and improving patients' lives.

There are fifteen varied AHP roles, including physiotherapists, paramedics, and radiographers, all of whom contribute to healthcare.

Nicky Lucey, chief nursing officer at NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight, said: "This event was a great opportunity to highlight the brilliant work taking place across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.

"The winners of the awards, and all those who were nominated, do a fantastic job and I would like to say congratulations to everyone who was involved."

The AHP Award winners received their awards from Nicky Lucey, the chief nursing officer for NHS Hampshire and Isle of Wight.

The final selection process was competitive, with the judges choosing just five from a substantial pool of nominees.

The Leadership award was given by Rachael Blake, a physiotherapist from Solent NHS Trust, for her initiatives aimed at revolutionising physiotherapy in mental health settings.

Emma Middleton, therapeutic radiographer from Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust won the AHP Educator Award in recognition of her efforts to train and educate the future generation of AHPs.

The Innovation and Improvement Award was jointly awarded to Claire Gill and Sarah Sharp, dietitians from Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, for their work with cancer patients, significantly impacting their health and recovery through food and nutrition.

Sue Morrison, an occupational therapist with Southern Health NHS Foundation Trust, won the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Award for promoting occupational rights to vulnerable communities.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight AHP of the Year Award was given to Tomos Harding-Neale, an advanced specialist orthoptist from University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust, for his work supporting those struggling with vision impairment after stroke.

The conference was attended by stakeholders across different sectors, including Sara Bolton, chief allied health professional for the South-East region, and Rebecca Tyrrell, regional head of the Allied Health Professional Workforce, Training and Education for the South East.