Allied Health Professions Federation Cymru launches in Wales
The BPS Welsh Branch is one of 13 members of the Allied Health Professions Federation Cymru (AHPF Cymru), which launched this week, and aims to work collectively to improve the health and wellbeing of the Welsh population.
28 March 2025
AHPF Cymru was officially launched, along with its manifesto for the next Senedd election at an event sponsored by the Welsh government's minister for children and social care, and the shadow cabinet secretary for health and social care.
Several Members of the Senedd, and more than 50 health professionals, and policy leads in the NHS and Welsh government attended to hear about the joint priorities on developing the AHP workforce and ensuring that patients have better access to their services.
Chair of the BPS Welsh Branch Dr Sharon Davis was one of the BPS representatives on the day.
Dr Davis said:
"The vision of the federation is to speak with one voice, to influence national policy and guidance at a strategic level and to ensure the AHP Cymru workforce is well positioned to improve the health and wellbeing of the population of Wales.
"In support of this, we look forward to collaborating with our AHP colleagues to promote and progress our joint priorities."
These priorities include developing a national workforce strategy for AHPs and expanding access to the AHP professions through exploring routes such as degree apprenticeships, microcredentials (short, focused learning experiences designed to demonstrate specific skills or knowledge), and developing transferable skills for a more flexible workforce.
The launch event was an opportunity for the federation to highlight its aims and objectives. Individual AHP organisations also had the chance to speak to attendees about their own priorities.
Dr Davis said the BPS was able stress the importance of early intervention and prevention.
She added:
"It's essential we take a preventative approach to the provision of mental health and services to improve wellbeing. Psychologists already look holistically at the whole person, considering not just psychological factors but also the social determinants of health.
"All public health services should be informed by a psychosocial approach to improving the population's mental health and wellbeing, we look forward to working with our AHP colleagues to advance holistic healthcare."
The event also gave the BPS the opportunity to showcase its Psychology Matters programme of work, which aims to highlight the positive impact that psychological professionals have on people's lives.