Complementary healthcare practitioners network

Initially, we simply want to develop a much closer relationship with all healthcare professionals, to better engage and support those involved in integrated healthcare. This is not just integration in the sense of the best of ‘both worlds’ (ie conventional and complementary) but also in the sense of providing personal and holistic care with an added emphasis on health and lifestyle.

There are just three criteria for signing up:

• A willingness to recognise that orthodox and complementary practices can work together.
• An emphasis on treating the whole patient and not just the symptom, recognizing the importance of the therapeutic relationship between patient and clinician.
• A focus on self help and personal health with an appreciation of the role of the patient /client in his/her own healing.

During 2009 the Foundation will be developing three streams of work to support and enable complementary health practitioners and other clinicians who are interested in and are practicing integrated health and care.

Firstly, we will be looking at education and plan to develop a course to explore integrated approaches to health and whole person medicine. We will also be looking at educational opportunities abroad.

Secondly, we foresee FIH becoming a centre of information for complementary health practitioners and other health professionals on complementary medicine research, the various therapies and therapists according to where you practice.

The third strand will be about providing support to clinicians practicing integrated health and care and ensuring that we support health providers through the introduction of a Foundation quality mark which will distinguish those providers / practices providing integrated health and care to their patients.

Clinical lead: Angie Buxton-King

Email: angie.buxton-king@fih.org.uk