'Every £1 spent brings in £98 for the economy': Dudley MP calls for recognition of unsung NHS professionals

A Black Country MP has called for the ‘NHS’s best-kept secret’ to be placed at the heart of future health policy.

Sonia Kumar, MP for Dudley, said the work of ‘allied health professionals’, experts such as osteopaths, physiotherapists and dietitians, were often overshadowed by the more traditional roles such as medics and nurses, but played a crucial role within the NHS.

Miss Kumar, herself a former paramedic, said allied health professionals made up the third largest clinical workforce within the NHS, with more than 300,000 registered practitioners.

During a parliamentary debate she had organised, Miss Kumar said that greater investment in allied professionals would not only benefit the health of the nation, it would also provide an economic dividend.

She said studies had shown that every pound spent on allied health professionals yielded a £98 return to the economy.

“The Government rightly want to get more people back into work, which is exactly what occupational therapists do,” he said.

She cited a case in Wakefield, where occupational therapists ran rehabilitation services which enabled 94 per cent of people on long-term sick pay to return to work, leading to a 40 per cent reduction in sick notes and preventing more than 1,700 people from leaving the workforce.

“If we want a healthier workforce, dietitians help diabetics to reduce the risk of complications by up to 50 per cent, and people who see a dietitian are two-and-a half times more likely to achieve their blood sugar targets, which means fewer long-term complications, fewer heart attacks and fewer strokes.”

She said such professionals were also central to delivering the Government’s long-term plans of shifting care from hospitals to the community and for sickness prevention.

Cat Eccles, MP for neighbouring Stourbridge, said allied professionals had been undervalued by successive governments.

She said earlier this month the Government had announced a package of measures to encourage people from disadvantaged backgrounds to apply for nursing apprenticeships and medical school.

“Those commitments really matter, but for allied health practitioners, there was nothing, not a single initiative, not a single pathway, not even a mention,” Miss Eccles told MPs.

“That omission is not an oversight, it is a pattern. For decades, successive governments have failed to recognise the value of and to invest in this vital part of the NHS workforce.”

Speaking after the debate, Miss Kumar told the Express & Star: “This was a truly historic moment, the first time allied health professionals have been properly recognised in a debate in Parliament.

“As a physiotherapist, I have seen first-hand the difference they make. They help people stay independent, recover from illness, and live with dignity.

“If we are serious about building a sustainable NHS, then we must put allied health professionals at the heart of policy, planning and delivery. They are not a ‘nice to have’, they are essential.”