Well the nights are most definitely drawing in as we approach the shortest day of the year and I have no doubt that thoughts will be moving towards some sort of time away from work in the coming weeks.
Our Chief Executive, Margaret Coats, was very pleased to have met Catherine Hughes at a recent Cross Party Group on Chronic Pain in Scotland. Catherine is a patient with a number of long term conditions that she has struggled for many years to self-manage. Catherine has written this month’s blog where she shares the challenge of being able to afford complementary healthcare on a low income and makes the case for a self-management fund to help people in her situation.
Last month CNHC also attended a conference on Yoga Therapy and Chronic Pain, where CNHC registrant Raquel Chinchetru, spoke about her work on introducing Yoga Therapy to NHS patients in East Sussex. Raquel’s work is another prime example of the incredible effort that CNHC registrants are taking to support integrative healthcare.
You might have seen in the news in recent months that the UK has lost its World Health Organisation (WHO) status as a measles-free zone, which means at least 95% measles-free. In response to concerns about people moving away from vaccinations the CNHC Board released a statement in November to remind registrants of steps to take if clients enquire about vaccinations. You can see details and a link to the statement below.
Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Best Wishes,
Michael Watson
CNHC Chair
A patient’s perspective…
Last month Margaret Coats, CNHC Chief Executive, participated in the Scotland Cross Party Group on Chronic Pain. At this event she heard from Catherine Hughes, a patient based in Scotland who has been living with a range of complex health conditions for over 30 years. After hearing her moving story, Margaret was keen to share Catherine’s perspective with CNHC registrants and the public.
Catherine has very kindly written this month’s blog where she shares her experiences and gives us a real sense of what it’s like for someone on low income to manage their own condition. Originally a healthcare professional, Catherine has gained great benefit from her use of complementary and holistic care but struggles to access the services she needs due to her low income.
CNHC attended Yoga Therapy and Chronic Pain Conference
On Wednesday 13 November, CNHC attended the Yoga Therapy and Chronic Pain Conference at The Minded Institute. This event was supported by The College of Medicine, which has an active interest in integrating complementary therapies within traditional healthcare systems.
The event programme focused on yoga therapy, principles of yoga, mindfulness, meditation and a combination of techniques to provide relief for chronic pain sufferers. Each speaker had their own story to tell with case studies, research, and in several instances, their own path to relief from chronic pain. The conference featured speakers from across the world, as well as a CNHC registered Yoga Therapist, Raquel Chinchetru, discussing her work providing Yoga Therapy as part of the Pain Service for NHS patients in East Sussex.
The conference also featured a talk from Fizz Annand from Public Health England. Fizz discussed the Prescribed Medicines Evidence Review that was published in 2019. The Review looked at the scale, distribution and causes of prescription drug dependence and what might be done to address it. The full report includes over 40 recommendations to address the concerns highlighted. Read the full Evidence Review from Public Health England here » .
CNHC accreditation renewed
We are delighted to announce that the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) have renewed CNHC’s registration as the holder of an Accredited Register.
Update on Personal Health Budgets
On Tuesday 19 November, Carolyn Watson, Head of Marketing and Communications at CNHC, attended an event put on by NHS England about Personal Health Budgets (PHBs). PHBs are part of the NHS Long Term Plan to deliver Universal Personalised Care to patients, allowing them to receive funds directly from the NHS to manage and provide their care. PHBs can be used for a range of services, including complementary therapies, but cannot be used to fund services already available from primary care, emergency services, pharmacies, surgical services, etc.
Currently, PHBs are not available to all patients but a change in law means that people who use wheelchairs or need mental health support will have greater choice and control in managing their own care. NHS England started out with a pilot programme of about 50,000 patients in 2017, with plans to expand to 200,000 patients by 2023.
NEW – Vacancies Section on CNHC website
As part of the recent work carried out on the CNHC website, we now have a Vacancies section under the ‘News’ tab. Here you can find a list of the current job and volunteer opportunities available for CNHC registrants across the country.
European Congress for Integrative Medicine 2020
On 11 – 13 September 2020, the European Congress for Integrative Medicine (ECIM) will be taking place in London at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre.
The congress brings bring together medical practitioners, healthcare professionals, scientists, therapists and health politicians to facilitate the advancement of healthcare by combining conventional medicine with evidence-informed lifestyle, complementary and traditional approaches to health and wellbeing and provide whole person, patient-centred care.
The event will feature world-class experts presenting the latest research and success stories in clinical care, alongside poster sessions and an international exhibition promoting the latest products, equipment and services available in the field.
CNHC Statement on Vaccinations
At its meeting in October 2019, CNHC’s Board discussed the UK’s recent loss of the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) measles-free status and agreed to make a statement to express its concern about this and to let registrants know which part of CNHC’s Code of Conduct, Ethics and Performance is relevant in this situation. All CNHC registrants were emailed directly about the Board’s concern and the published statement.
