The 15 allied health professions and how to train for each

NHS Health Careers lists 15 allied health professions: diagnostic radiographer, paramedic, podiatrist, physiotherapist, occupational therapist, orthoptist, prosthetist and orthotist, therapeutic radiographer, art therapist, dietitian, dramatherapist, music therapist, operating department practitioner, osteopath, and speech and language therapist. The main way in is a degree, usually two to four years, and for some roles a degree apprenticeship of around four years lets you earn while you train. Podiatrists, orthoptists, operating department practitioners and NHS osteopaths typically start on Agenda for Change band 5, and the arts therapies on band 6.

How you train

The NHS says the main route is an approved degree, full or part time. Several professions also take graduates from other subjects on accelerated postgraduate courses, which are usually shorter. Speech and language therapy, for example, has a two-year accelerated programme for people with a relevant first degree, and orthoptics has a two-year postgraduate option.

Full-time and part-time degree courses both exist, and the NHS says courses usually run for two to four years. Degree apprenticeships are available for some roles. The employer and the government pay the tuition fees, so apprentices do not receive student grants, but they earn a salary. For the arts therapies there is a level 7 apprenticeship, though NHS Health Careers says opportunities are currently limited.

Students on most of these degrees in England, though not the arts therapies or osteopathy, can claim from the NHS Learning Support Fund. The Learning Support Fund guide has the figures. Podiatry carries the extra £1,000 payment, which fits the podiatrist page’s figure of at least £6,000 a year.

The professions with their own guides

Most of the list has a full guide on this site, with pay and routes in more detail. Start with physiotherapists, occupational therapists, diagnostic radiographers or paramedics. Dietitians, speech and language therapists, therapeutic radiographers, operating department practitioners, podiatrists, orthoptists, and prosthetists and orthotists each have a page under the job profiles section. Osteopathy is the one profession on the NHS list without its own page here.

The smaller professions

Podiatrists usually train through an approved degree or master’s, which takes two to three years full time and over four years part time, then register with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). They typically start on band 5. A degree apprenticeship is the alternative.

Orthoptists diagnose and treat visual impairments and eye movement disorders. The undergraduate course takes three to four years, and four UK universities offer it. After qualifying you register with the HCPC, and the NHS role typically starts on band 5.

Operating department practitioners study a degree in operating department practice, register with the HCPC and typically start on band 5. They work flexibly across a seven-day week.

Osteopaths train to bachelor’s or master’s level over three to five years, including more than 1,000 hours of clinical training, and register with the General Osteopathic Council. NHS Health Careers says you are more likely to work for yourself, though an NHS post is typically band 5.

Music therapists, art therapists and dramatherapists come to the arts therapies from other backgrounds: a music, art or drama degree, or a relevant professional qualification, together with experience in a caring setting. Most NHS posts are part time and typically start on band 6. Our arts therapist guide covers the routes.

What to check before you choose

• The regulator. Most of these professions register with the HCPC, but not all do, as the osteopath example shows. The role page names the body.
• Whether you want an NHS post at all. NHS Health Careers says osteopaths are more likely to work for themselves, so band figures may not apply to the job you end up in.
• Course availability. Orthoptics is taught at only four UK universities, so you may need to travel or relocate to study it.
• Funding. Check whether the course is on the Learning Support Fund list and whether a degree apprenticeship is on offer from a local trust. The NHS apprenticeships guide explains how those work.
• Pay and band for the exact role. The NHS pay bands guide lists the 2026/27 figures.