12 Mar 2015 Registered Nutritional Therapists Can Help to Transform the Future of Healthcare
Today the Professional Standards Authority published a report entitled “Accredited Registers – Ensuring that health and care practitioners are competent and safe report.” This document emphasises the fact that the traditional healthcare system is a the cusp of a dramatic change, and that practitioners of newer and/or complementary professions such as Nutritional Therapy are as competent as other traditional healthcare providers, and that they can make a difference by working together with them as part of multidisciplinary teams under NHS commissioning.
In today’s report, Mr Cayton says that “the NHS is re-examining the way it delivers services and is exploring new models of integrated care better-suited to today” and explains that with changing times the need to deliver new, innovative ways to improve people’s health is more pressing than ever. The PSA calls for traditional health professionals like Medical Doctors and Nurses to look beyond the confines of the health and care system they’ve been used to, and to create broader multidisciplinary team that engage the 63,000 practitioners on 17 Accredited Registers covering 25 occupations, one of which is Nutritional Therapy. This will offer different approaches to care which NHS commissioners can choose with the confidence that they are competent and safe.’ Mr Cayton continued to say that “we must invest in prevention and wellbeing to deliver healthcare for the 21st Century. The complementary therapists registered with CNHC are among the health practitioners who have a key role to play in this new model.”
CNHC’s Chair, John Lant commented: ‘We have over 5,000 practitioners on our Accredited Register from professions that are already used to support patients in areas such as cancer and palliative care and mental health services. The patient comments outlined in the report speak volumes about the role complementary therapies can play in enhancing patient wellbeing and we welcome wholeheartedly the Professional Standards Authority’s comments and report.”
Miguel Toribio-Mateas, Chairman of BANT said: “I am delighted with the words of support for CNHC Registered Nutritional Therapists by Harry Cayton OBE, Chief Executive of the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). BANT Council decided to make CNHC registration mandatory from 1st January 2014. We believe that registration gives reassurance to the public and other healthcare practitioners that our members are professional and knowledgeable. For those BANT members who had to engage in additional work to achieve registration, I trust Mr Cayton’s and Mr Lant’s words are a confirmation that their efforts were worthy. I believe it’s a hugely exciting time for BANT and CNHC Registered Nutritional Therapists and that with our training and skill set in individualised care we are uniquely placed to shape the 21st Century healthcare system.”
