Health Trust Uses Complementary Treatments As Part Of Their "Improving Working Lives" Initiative

Main Category: Rehabilitation / Physical Therapy
Article Date: 24 May 2009 - 0:00 PDT

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Workers in one of the largest PCT's in the UK have been benefiting from a scheme that is part of the "improving working lives in the workplace" initiative. Since January 2009, training company, Ethos (Education, Training, Health and Online Service Ltd) have been working with staff across all disciplines within the trust including clinical and non-clinical staff on a programme of taster complementary therapy sessions.

The taster sessions have been introduced as part of the PCT's commitment to improving working lives in the workplace and were available to over 1000 members of staff. Six therapists from the Ethos team worked with the PCT.

During the sessions each member of staff at the PCT was given the opportunity to try one complementary therapy from a list which included: aromatherapy, reiki, massage, remedial massage and thermo auricular therapy. Initially, each member of staff underwent a full consultation with a therapist and together they agreed a treatment plan for their half-hour r session.

Commenting on the work undertaken, Christine Fisk, MD at Ethos Training and a member of the Governing Council of the Federation of Holistic Therapists said, "We were able to offer a full range of complementary therapies to staff so they would get a taster of what can be used to enjoy a healthier lifestyle which would improve their working lives. We were pleasantly surprised that the most popular therapies were the less traditional ones such as hypnotherapy and emotional freedom techniques. The results have been really positive with 96% of people who tried a therapy saying they were happy with the service we provided and 94% saying they would benefit from complementary therapy on a regular basis."

In addition to this project Ethos also ran a Healthy Lifestyle Week for the same PCT which saw 300 members of staff try a range of complementary therapies. Following on from this work Ethos has now been asked by another NHS provider to supply a range of complementary health therapies for its staff which is due to start in May.

Continuing further Christine says "Increasingly, organisations are encouraging employees to adopt a healthy lifestyle as this can impact upon their working life. We offer a range of techniques and therapies that look at a person's way of life and what would be most beneficial to improving their health. Anyone who wants to improve their health in this way should visit a qualified complementary therapist who will offer them a consultation on what is best for them."

Christine Fisk is MD of Ethos and is a board member for the Federation of Holistic Therapists.

Source
Health Trust

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