Susan Nancarrow is the CEO of HealthWork International and was the founding Chair of the Allied Health Assistant National Association.
Together with founding CEO Ben Turnbull and the support of the team at HealthWork Solutions, they were instrumental in forming the first self-regulating professional association for the allied health assistant workforce. We spoke to Susan about her role as Director of the Allied Health Assistants' National Association (AHANA).
Over the past two decades, the role of allied health assistants has become increasingly recognised as vital to addressing health workforce shortages and improving patient outcomes.
This recognition was particularly evident during my tenure in the UK, where significant health reforms underscored the essential contributions of allied health assistants. Our research found that healthcare teams employing a higher proportion of these professionals often achieved superior patient outcomes, and it became clear that allied health assistants could significantly enhance patient care delivery—a potential that was not fully appreciated at the time.
This compelled me to closely examine the sociology of professions, authoring a book and several chapters focused on the critical role allied health assistants play in supporting the allied health workforce. This exploration highlighted an urgent need for appropriate systems, structures, and education to support this workforce adequately.
To address these gaps, I co-founded Health Work International, a private company recognising the urgent need for data and equitable support for non-medical and non-nursing professions. Our collaboration with Ben Turnbull, who established the national network of allied health assistants, led to the creation of the first national association of allied health assistants (AHANA).
This pioneering organisation, advised by global healthcare regulation expert Dr. Ann Louise Carlton, aims to set world-leading best practices in developing regulatory models and frameworks for this unregistered workforce.
Some of the challenges that AHANA had to overcome was the lack of standardised education and job descriptions for allied health assistants across Australia.
These disparities complicate the mobility of professionals between different organisational settings, roles and jurisdictions. Additionally, the absence of appropriate funding models means that employing allied health assistants remains a challenge if allied health professionals cannot secure funding for these services.
What was your role as founding chair of AHANA?
As the founding chair of AHANA, my role has been to ensure all necessary systems and structures are in place to support this new organisation.
This includes meeting statutory requirements, supporting directors, and selecting appropriate association management software. Drawing on my experience with large-scale workforce surveys, I've helped to gather crucial data on the workforce at the time of registration.
The formation of AHANA marks a significant step in the professionalisation of allied health assistants, a group that has been evolving in Australia for well over 20 years. As we navigate current healthcare workforce shortages, AHANA plays a crucial role in advocating for the recognition and proper utilisation of allied health assistants.
Looking ahead, our challenges include educating the market about the role of AHAs and AHANA, and securing appropriate funding to support sustainable business models for AHAs.
However, I am optimistic about AHANA's future, and the profound impact allied health assistants can have on the well-being of our communities. As we continue to develop and refine AHANA's structure and reach, I am honoured to work alongside a dedicated and innovative board that has made the development of AHANA possible.
We are committed to advancing this critical profession into its next stage of development, ensuring that allied health assistants are recognised as key contributors to healthcare outcomes nationwide.