We are embracing a new model of healthcare that supports both patients and doctors.
Doctors and GPs in the NHS are chronically overworked
The number of NHS staff taking long-term stress leave increased by 19 percent in 2018, with over 100,000 staff taking over a month of sickness in a twelve month period.
Even more concerning are the statistics of healthcare professionals’ mental health, with the British Medical Journal highlighting that junior doctors in the NHS are reporting alarming levels of stress.
Entering into the medical field to help patients, GPs in particular find that their time is increasing restricted, preventing them from spending the quality time that they wish to bestow onto each patient. This restricted time can lead to restricted thinking, as presenting symptoms are immediately equated to an obvious solution – a treatment plan which may not be the bespoke care the patient needs.
We are advancing a new model of medicine
Here at the National Centre for Integrative Medicine, we are driving forward a fresh approach to healthcare, creating a model for whole person healthcare that can be adopted by mainstream medicine in the future, and by you right now.
What do our students say?
Dr Sumi, a GP with an interest in musculoskeletal medicine, said: “After 12 years I just wanted a new way to help my patients. It’s absolutely fascinating, all the tools that one can accumulate to help patients, and I think chronic pain is a big issue at the moment – it’s almost becoming like an epidemic – so I think it’s really important to gather tools to help patients.”
Dr Chui, a GP from Southampton, said: “For a long time I felt very inadequate in the way I deal with patients with long term conditions. I just felt that whilst conventional medicine is very good for lots of acute medical problems, it was very limited in what it could do or offer to patients with long term conditions. So it felt like patients were coming through a revolving door, especially those with chronic pain and mental wellbeing issues. So I was really looking for ways to bridge that gap and the diploma course seemed to have all those different elements.”
Integrative Medicine is the answer
Healthcare professionals from all walks of life choose medicine as a calling, not just a career, but this can sometimes be lost in the pressures of workloads, increasing numbers of patients, and increasing complexities of health conditions.
The Diploma is certified by the Crossfields Institute, with world class experts teaching on topics as broad and impactful as nutrition, mindfulness, green space therapy, and lifestyle approaches to exercise and social community, and is supported by the College of Medicine and those qualifying in the Diploma will become part of a growing alumni.