BDA Fellow Alison Smith, has been awarded the inaugural Chief Allied Health Professions Officer’s Gold Award for AHP Excellence.
The new award has been developed to acknowledge, reward and celebrate excellence, where a significant, outstanding and exceptional contribution has been made by individual members of the AHP community in England in their work.
Recipients need to consistently lead by example, demonstrate strong NHS values and high levels of commitment and quality throughout their role.
As Prescribing Support Consultant Dietitian at Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group, Chair of the Advisory Committee on Borderline Substances, Fellow of the BDA and committee member of the BDA’s Older People and Optimising Nutrition Prescribing Specialist Groups, Alison truly embodies excellence.
Professor Suzanne Rastrick, Chief Allied Health Profession’s Officer for England said, “I was delighted to award Alison Smith, one of the first CAHPO Gold Awards for AHP Excellence to reflect her work championing older people’s nutrition, identifying and treating malnutrition and food first. Her passion has resulted in direct influence of nationally recognised prescribing resources as well as showcasing how dietitians are key to improving understanding of the role of prescribed nutritional products.
“She has also demonstrated particular professional leadership through her chairing of the Department of Health & Social Care’s Borderline Substances Committee, for which I am grateful.”
Upon receiving the award, Alison said,"I feel really honoured to be the first dietitian to receive the CAHPO Gold Award for Excellence which was so unexpected. I have to admit that when I found out I was completely lost for words, which as people who know me will agree, is a fairly rare occurrence!"