Celebrating the Allied Health Professions

19th January 2017

Three of Sheffield's leading healthcare experts will be delivering a series of public lectures at Sheffield Hallam University this week which will explore some of the key developments and challenges within the allied health professions.

As part of an event to celebrate the work of allied health professionals such as; physiotherapists, radiographers, occupational therapists, paramedics and speech and language therapists, the University's newest honorary professors will deliver their professorial lectures which will look at compassionate care, advice and guidance as well as the benefits of becoming involved in clinical research. Professor Mark Cobb is the clinical director at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and will be exploring the humanity, nature and ethics of care as well as the design of healthcare services and palliative and end of life care. Professor Cobb contends that valuing the humanity of care is more important than ever at a time when competing values and pressures in the healthcare system threaten both the morals and the morale of the NHS. Head of speech and language therapy at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, Professor Sue Pownall will be talking about dysphagia - a disorder that restricts a person's ability to swallow and is common in many illnesses including stroke, head and neck cancer, and neurological conditions such as Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis and dementia. In her role as clinical lead of dysphagia, Professor Pownall will discuss the impact the condition has on an individual and their families as well as offering advice and guidance on how to assess and treat it. With £284million being invested into health research in 2016/17, over 610,000 patients have been able to take part in high quality research including commercial studies and access to new treatments and interventions. Professor Caroline Pickstone, chief operating officer in the Clinical Research Network for Yorkshire & Humber will present an outline of how research is benefitting patients. Professor Karen Bryan, pro-vice chancellor for regional engagement and dean of Sheffield Hallam's Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, said: "Sheffield Hallam provides training to almost 2,000 allied health students and our staff have been pioneers of some really innovative products and methods that have been designed to improve the lives of people across the world. "This event seeks to celebrate and raise awareness of the incredible work carried out by allied health professionals up and down the country." Members of the public are invited to attend the event which is being held at the University's Heart of the Campus building on Collegiate Crescent from 3.30pm to 6.30pm on Wednesday 18 January and can register their attendance here.