New Chief Allied Health Professions Officer Appointed in Wales 2026

Key Points

• Gareth Evans has been appointed as Wales’s new Chief Allied Health Professions Officer (CAHPO)
• The role focuses on strengthening Allied Health Professions (AHPs) in preventative, community-based healthcare
• Evans is a podiatrist with extensive experience across health and care services in Wales
• The appointment fills a vacancy that had been open for more than a year
• Cabinet Minister for Health and Care Mabon ap Gwynfor welcomed the quick appointment
• Allied Health Professionals Federation Cymru expressed delight at filling the position
• AHPs encompass 13 professional groups including physiotherapists, dietitians, and speech therapists
• The role supports Wales’s shift towards prevention and early intervention in healthcare

Wales (Wales Times) August 04, 2026 – The Welsh Government has announced the appointment of Gareth Evans as the nation’s new Chief Allied Health Professions Officer, a strategic leadership position that comes at a critical juncture as Wales transitions towards preventative, community-based models of healthcare delivery.

As reported by Nation.Cymru Staff, Evans will provide expert professional leadership and advice on the contribution of Allied Health Professions (AHPs) across health, social care and the wider system. The appointment marks the end of a vacancy that had remained unfilled for more than a year, according to the Allied Health Professionals Federation Cymru.

What role will the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer play in Welsh healthcare?

In his new capacity, Gareth Evans will serve as the principal professional advisor on Allied Health Professions matters to Welsh Government ministers and senior health leaders. His responsibilities include championing the AHP sector, providing strategic direction, and ensuring that the contribution of these professions is appropriately reflected across the health and care system.

The position sits within the Health, Social Care and Early Years Group (HSCEY) of the Welsh Government. According to the National Health Executive, the role ensures that senior leaders and Welsh Ministers receive appropriate, timely, high quality and professional advice in respect of the Allied Health Professions.

Allied Health Professions represent 13 distinct professional groups forming a significant workforce across the NHS, social care, schools, housing, and the wider health and care system. These professions include physiotherapy, clinical psychology, dietetics, podiatry, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, radiography, and paramedic science, among others.

What is Gareth Evans’s professional background?

Gareth Evans is a podiatrist by professional background and brings extensive experience from across health and care services in Wales. According to his LinkedIn profile, Evans currently serves as Integrated Health Community Director at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, a position he has held since August 2024.

As reported by Kelly McGuffie on LinkedIn, Evans previously served as Acting Executive Director of Therapies and Health Science at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. His career spans more than 30 years in the NHS, during which he has occupied various clinical, managerial and leadership roles across North and Mid Wales.

Evans’s professional experience includes serving as Head of Allied Health Professions at Powys Local Health Board from December 2003 to January 2005. He has worked across allied health professions, specialist medicine and community services throughout his career. According to a LinkedIn post from Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, Evans grew up on Anglesey and graduated as a Podiatrist from uk/local/cardiff/">Cardiff Metropolitan University.

Chief Executive Carol Shillabeer of Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board previously stated: “He brings a wealth of experience gathered over a lifetime of working in the NHS, and I am sure patients and staff will welcome his commitment and drive to provide the best possible care for the people of North Wales.”

What statements have been made about the appointment?

Chief Allied Health Professions Officer, Gareth Evans, said:

“In this role I will strengthen the contribution of Allied Health Professions across Wales as we shift to community-based care. I look forward to championing and representing the profession in Wales. I am also committed to providing expert professional leadership and advice to support the contribution of AHPs across health, social care and the wider system.”

The Cabinet Minister for Health and Care, Mabon ap Gwynfor, said:

“I am pleased we have moved quickly to make this appointment. The Allied Health Professions sector plays a vital role in our health system, and raising its profile is a key priority for this Government. I look forward to working with Gareth Evans to deliver on our ambitions and improve outcomes for people in Wales. As we focus on preventative health, it’s important that the contribution of Allied Health Professions is reflected across the health and care system.”

Commenting on the appointment of Gareth Evans, Chair of the Allied Health Professionals Federation Cymru, Paul Smith, said:

“We’re delighted that after more than a year the CAHPO vacancy has been filled. Thank you to everyone who supported our campaign to have this essential position readvertised and to all the AHPs who applied.”

Smith continued:

“It is disappointing that the previous Welsh Government were not able to recruit in time for the Senedd elections. We are seeing a substantial shift in the focus of the Welsh Government and in these crucial first few months there has been no leading voice for AHPs in place.”

He added:

“We look forward to working with Gareth in his new role as the government continues to promote prevention and early intervention with a user focused approach. The immediate priority in his inbox is the development of a Welsh NHS workforce strategy, which we hope will be based on accurate data and have safe staffing levels for AHPs at its core.”

Why are Allied Health Professions important to Wales’s healthcare strategy?

Allied Health Professions play a critical role throughout the patient journey, supporting prevention, early intervention, rehabilitation, reablement, recovery and long-term condition management. Their work helps people maintain their health, recover from illness and injury, and live independently for longer.

According to the Welsh Government, AHPs are central to the preventative health agenda and in delivering care closer to home. The appointment strengthens national professional leadership and advice for AHPs as Wales shifts to community-based models of care.

The Welsh Government has highlighted the importance of elevating the profile of Allied Health Professions as part of its wider health reform agenda, recognising the sector’s contribution to preventative care, workforce sustainability and improved patient outcomes. As reported by the National Health Executive, the appointment signals a renewed focus on harnessing the expertise of Allied Health Professionals to support the delivery of sustainable healthcare services, reduce pressure on acute care settings and improve the health and wellbeing of communities across Wales.

Background of the Chief Allied Health Professions Officer Development

The Chief Allied Health Professions Officer position for Wales had been vacant for more than a year prior to Evans’s appointment. According to a letter from the Allied Health Professions Federation Cymru to the CEO of NHS Wales, dated prior to the appointment, the key post had been vacant for nearly six months since June 2025.

The vacancy was advertised with an application deadline of 20 June 2025, according to the Welsh Government recruitment portal. The role description stated that the CAHPO is a key professional role within the Health, Social Care and Early Years Group ensuring senior leaders and Welsh Ministers receive appropriate, timely, high quality and professional advice in respect of the Allied Health Professions.

The Allied Health Professionals Federation Cymru had campaigned for the position to be readvertised after the previous Welsh Government was unable to recruit in time for the Senedd elections. Paul Smith, Chair of the Federation, expressed disappointment that there had been no leading voice for AHPs in place during the crucial first few months of the new government’s term.

The appointment comes as Wales increasingly focuses on preventative health measures. In July 2026, Wales’s first ever minister with dedicated responsibility for preventative health set out priorities to the Senedd, emphasising the need to tackle the causes of ill health rather than just the consequences. The Chief Medical Officer for Wales’s annual report for 2024-2025 established a Preventing Ill-Health Advisory Group to support the role as chief adviser on health across Welsh Government.

Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Healthcare Workers and Patients in Wales

The appointment of Gareth Evans as Chief Allied Health Professions Officer is likely to have significant implications for healthcare workers, patients, and the broader health and care system in Wales over the coming years.

For Allied Health Professionals themselves, the appointment provides a dedicated professional voice at the highest levels of Welsh Government health policy. This could lead to improved representation in workforce planning decisions, better alignment of resources with AHP needs, and enhanced career development pathways. The Allied Health Professionals Federation Cymru has already identified the development of a Welsh NHS workforce strategy as an immediate priority, with emphasis on accurate data and safe staffing levels for AHPs.

For patients and service users across Wales, the strengthened leadership of AHPs may accelerate the shift towards community-based care and preventative health interventions. This could result in improved access to physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and other AHP services within local communities, reducing the need for hospital-based care. The focus on prevention, early intervention, and rehabilitation aligns with broader Welsh Government ambitions to help people stay well, recover well, and live as independently as possible.

For the wider health and care system, the appointment may contribute to reduced pressure on acute care settings by strengthening preventative and community-based services. AHPs play vital roles in rehabilitation, reablement, and long-term condition management, which can help reduce hospital admissions and lengths of stay. The strategic leadership provided by Evans could help integrate AHP expertise more effectively across health, social care, education, housing and other public services.

However, the effectiveness of this appointment will depend on several factors including adequate resourcing for AHP services, the development of comprehensive workforce strategies, and the ability to translate strategic priorities into tangible improvements in service delivery. The Allied Health Professionals Federation Cymru has emphasised the importance of accurate data and safe staffing levels as core elements of any workforce strategy.