Complementary Health & Wellbeing Service Anita Mehrez Anita Deputy Clinical Lead

What I want to share with you.. Definition of complementary therapies Overview services available to: Patients Carers Staff

Definition of Complementary Therapies Complementary medicine is a group of diagnostic and therapeutic disciplines used alongside conventional medicine to provide supportive care e.g. touch therapies, visualisation, acupuncture. Does not at our trust, include oral therapies such as homeopathy or herbal medicine (Alternative medicine is used in place of conventional medicine, e.g. eating a special diet to treat cancer instead of undergoing conventional treatment recommended by a physician)

The Christie Team Clinical Lead Nurse 2 deputy clinical leads 27 sessional therapists 8 volunteers Sessional work funded by income generation, donations, charitable bids/fundraising events & income from courses

How can we support you? Early Prevention – Stress Management techniques (supporting Smoking Cessation & Alcohol reduction support) Detection – Enhancing Self Care, Stress Management etc Treatment – XRT, Chemo, Wards, Pre-Op Living with and Beyond – ‘Drop in’, acupuncture (treatment related symptoms eg. fatigue, neuropathy, hot flushes)

Aim of Service Enhance wellbeing Support ongoing treatment Alleviate side effects of treatment Improve Quality of Life Symptom control Empower - developing resources / resilience

Additional Services Carers – ‘Drop in’, bedside support Staff – Daily appointment service (charged), Vouchers available through OH as appropriate post illness (free) Education – Therapists and NHS staff through School of Oncology Research – National Institute for Health Research funded studies of interventions offered

SC & alcohol support Interventions provided to patients, carers & staff Funded by Christie Charity since 2006 Drop-in Clinics Tuesday & Thursday Referrals for in-patients & outpatients at source NRT advice (inhalators, lozenge & patches) Hypnotherapy, acupuncture & other interventions to manage cravings & anxiety Brief Interventions Training offered to all Christie staff (NICE, 2006)

Stress management etc Body and mind Time out - space to breathe and reflect Use of touch therapies and Hypnotherapy Strategies including progressive muscle relaxation(PMR),breathing exercises, mindfulness and aromatherapy

Massage & patients (e.g. Wards) - It was like taking a holiday from cancer - Very relaxing. Can forget about everything. Went into a day dream (P177). Super idea. Brilliant What people need. Shows people are giving you extra care. (P23). Feels great now. Managed to switch off. Saves you sitting there, thinking. (P91). Fantastic, because you are anxious before. It is a nice distraction (P31). (Mackereth P et al, 2008)

Supporting Carers Supporting the patient includes supporting their family too This may be at the patient’s bedside OR ‘Drop In’ clinic for carers of out patients

‘Drop in’ clinic for outpatients and carers Tuesday & Thursday 4 – 6.30 pm Foot massage or clothed chair massage – self referral Guided relaxation (group session) Acupuncture – Christie Consultant referral

Carers Project I could forget where I am and what’s going on around me. It’s my time! (L2) It was just great, I found myself not thinking (L3) Felt like going to bed and having a sleep, feeling calmer (J1) Got rid of the headache I had, made me feel more relaxed… gave me the best night sleep for a very long time... (P1) (Mackereth et al, 2005)

The sessions eased my neck pain and enabled me to stay at work (102U) Staff Service Project The sessions eased my neck pain and enabled me to stay at work (102U) Happier in my work, time out for me, feeling valued and therefore keen to stay at the Trust (127U) I have been clinically depressed for 5 years …acupuncture has made me feel normal again (58U) Have been able to maintain and cope with the demands of my role without having to take more time off (70U) (Wilson et al, 2007)

Summary Complementary therapies can influence every aspect of the pathway for patients, carers and staff when used appropriately, as an integral part of care and provided by suitably qualified therapists.

Contact details Anita Mehrez Thank you for Listening! Tel:0161 446 8236 Email: anita.mehrez@christie.nhs.uk Thank you for Listening!