14/10/2025
The Health Minister has marked World AHP Day by paying tribute to clinicians working within a specialist Autism Early Intervention Service who recently won an award.
World AHP (Allied Health Professionals) Day is an annual event held to recognise and celebrate the vital contributions of AHPs in our communities.
The Minister met our Children & Young People’s Early Intervention Service (EIS) team during a visit to Fermanagh, after their win at the Advancing Healthcare Awards UK earlier this year. The team won the Northern Ireland Government’s award for clinical impact to address healthcare inequalities.
The EIS aims to provide support, intervention and assessment for children, young people and their families once presenting characteristics of Autism have been identified.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said:
“Here we have Allied Health Professionals, including speech and language therapists and occupational therapists, working with psychology professionals collectively to share expertise and provide support to children, young people and their families in navigating what can otherwise be a very stressful time.
“I would like to pay tribute to the entire EIS team in the Western Trust and warmly congratulate you all on your much-deserved win at the awards ceremony in London.”
The EIS, established in 2021, is a small team of clinicians working alongside families, who have brought new ways of working with huge benefits for those awaiting Autism assessment.
The team’s innovative model aims to reduce healthcare inequalities by bridging the gap from referral to assessment.
During his visit to Fermanagh House, the Minister met members of the team who briefed him on their work, as well as service users and their families.
The Minister added:
“On this World AHP Day, I also want to express my thanks to our Allied Health Professional colleagues right across Northern Ireland. Your expertise, dedication and commitment are truly valued.
“AHPs, and those in AHP assistant roles, have a key role to play as we move forward rebuilding and restructuring the health and social care system. Thank you for everything that you do.”
Professor Michelle Tennyson, Department of Health Chief Allied Health Professions Officer, said:
“Today, I am proud to celebrate Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) Day across Northern Ireland, recognising the vital contributions of our approximately 5,200 AHPs working across our health and social care system.
“All 14 of our professions play a crucial role in improving lives, promoting independence, and delivering high-quality care in hospitals, prisons, schools, communities, and homes.
“The theme for AHPs’ Day 2025 is the 3 shifts: hospital to community; treatment to prevention; and analogue to digital. This highlights areas where we as allied health professions excel. AHPs continue to innovate, lead, and adapt to meet the evolving needs of our population and we are well placed to lead in each of these 3 shifts.
“I would also like to extend my congratulations to the EIS team in the Western Trust for the impactful work that you do.”
Donna Keenan, Western Trust Executive Director of Nursing, Midwifery & AHP Services, said: “As we celebrate the vital work that the EIS team do every day, we also acknowledge and celebrate the care and treatment that all our AHP colleagues deliver.
“They are at the heart of transforming care across our Trust. Staff are embracing moving care from hospital to community, treatment to prevention and analogue to digital. Thank you all for your unwavering commitment to delivering outstanding individual person centred care.”