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05/10/2006
Alternative medicines to be integrated into health service
Health Minister Paul Goggins, has today announced three important initiatives to develop the greater integration of Complementary and Alternative Medicines (CAM) within the health service.
The Minister has set aside a fund of £200,000 to enable patients to receive CAM services as part of their Health Service treatment. The first wave of this will involve GPs bidding for resources, through their local Health Board, to allow patients to be directly referred from their GP practice to access complementary therapies as part of the health service.
The Department will be contacting the Boards shortly about the operation of the scheme, including the criteria under which GPs will be able to apply for funding.
Commenting on this, the Health Minister said: “Through the fund, which will be administered by the Health Boards, GPs will be able to bid for resources to enable them to refer patients to CAM therapies, where they feel the patient could benefit, they are confident that the practitioner provides a safe and effective service, and it is the patient’s wish.”
The new scheme is due to commence in January and the first phase will run for a year.
The Minister also announced additional funding for the introduction of an ‘Integrated Health Awards’ and ‘Integrated Health Associates’ schemes - both of which will run in partnership with the Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health and will recognise and support the work carried out by many of the CAM practitioners in Northern Ireland.
The Minister announced the funding and the two new initiatives at the first ever seminar organised to explore the role of CAM in the health service.
The Minister concluded: “It is important that both the traditional and complementary sector work together to establish good working relationships and to share best practice. This will ensure that we move forward in the best interests of the patients, who are and must remain, at the centre of everything we do.
“I am committed to providing patients with the widest range of safe and effective means to get well, manage symptoms and stay healthy.”
(EF/SP)
The Minister has set aside a fund of £200,000 to enable patients to receive CAM services as part of their Health Service treatment. The first wave of this will involve GPs bidding for resources, through their local Health Board, to allow patients to be directly referred from their GP practice to access complementary therapies as part of the health service.
The Department will be contacting the Boards shortly about the operation of the scheme, including the criteria under which GPs will be able to apply for funding.
Commenting on this, the Health Minister said: “Through the fund, which will be administered by the Health Boards, GPs will be able to bid for resources to enable them to refer patients to CAM therapies, where they feel the patient could benefit, they are confident that the practitioner provides a safe and effective service, and it is the patient’s wish.”
The new scheme is due to commence in January and the first phase will run for a year.
The Minister also announced additional funding for the introduction of an ‘Integrated Health Awards’ and ‘Integrated Health Associates’ schemes - both of which will run in partnership with the Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health and will recognise and support the work carried out by many of the CAM practitioners in Northern Ireland.
The Minister announced the funding and the two new initiatives at the first ever seminar organised to explore the role of CAM in the health service.
The Minister concluded: “It is important that both the traditional and complementary sector work together to establish good working relationships and to share best practice. This will ensure that we move forward in the best interests of the patients, who are and must remain, at the centre of everything we do.
“I am committed to providing patients with the widest range of safe and effective means to get well, manage symptoms and stay healthy.”
(EF/SP)
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