Sally Hall – Chief Allied Health Professions Officer, Dartford & Gravesham NHS Trust

When Sally Hall qualified as an Occupational Therapist in 1997, she knew she wanted to help people with progressive neurological conditions live well at home for as long as possible. Nearly three decades later, that same passion shapes everything she does, now as Chief Allied Health Professions Officer at Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, championing 14 Allied Health Professions and the thousands of patients they serve.

AHPs are often described as the NHS’s hidden workforce, the physiotherapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, speech and language therapists, paramedics, and many others working quietly across acute wards, community clinics, mental health services, and social care. Sally’s role is to make sure they are anything but hidden.

“I strive to work across our health and social care system to ensure our patients and families have the right treatment and support at the right time, delivered by the right person,” she says.

That philosophy sits at the heart of the NHS’s 10 Year Health Plan. The shift from hospital to community, bringing care closer to home and keeping people well for longer, cannot happen without AHPs. They are already embedded across every part of the system, working at the intersection of acute care, prevention, and community support.

For Sally, the Plan represents an exciting opportunity. AHPs are uniquely placed to lead the changes ahead: shifting services out of hospitals, working upstream to prevent ill health, and supporting people to maintain their independence and quality of life.

With her roots in neurological rehabilitation and a career spanning community and acute settings, Sally brings both personal conviction and system-level leadership to one of the NHS’s most important transformations.