NEWS ARCHIVE
Cornwall College leads the way
Increasing numbers of people in the UK are using complementary therapies to try to alleviate particular illnesses or symptoms, or to improve their overall health and wellbeing.
In 2003 research showed that British consumers spent over £1.3m on complementary health, it’s a growing industry and Cornwall College is playing a key role within the industry by offering a new state-of-the-art facility.
The Cornwall Complementary Centre, located within the Penhaligon building at Cornwall College Camborne is a specialist clinic that will provide a ‘Centre of Excellence’ to train the future practitioners of complementary health therapies.
This brand new facility was officially opened last week by Dr Michael Dixon, Visiting Professor at the School of Integrated Health at the University of Westminster, who is an Honorary Senior Lecturer at the Peninsula Medical School, a Trustee of the Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health and Chair of NHS Alliance representing Primary Care, Primary Care Trusts and GP practices.
He said; “Here you really have got it all, practitioner networking, teaching and a wonderful new centre for students. Cornwall is leading the way.
“Within the next four to five years, the NHS will undergo radical changes and what Cornwall College is doing here fits into what the NHS is doing. The aim of the Primary Health Care Trust is to offer better care, closer to home. We mustn’t underestimate the power of people to heal. Conventional medicine does not treat the patient and by offering an integrated approach, we can help people to heal themselves. Integrated medicine is the ‘best of both worlds’; palliative care and symptomatic care. ”
The new facility is the latest edition to Cornwall College Camborne’s vast array of real work training facilities, and will provide a dedicated training facility for those studying the Complementary Health Therapies Foundation Degree, approved by the University of Plymouth.
The clinic will also be used as a vital resource for current practitioners in the county who want to further their professional development.
Dr Christine Schofield, a complementary therapies practitioner and research doctor at The Knowledge Spa in Truro said; “A lot of hard work has gone into this new centre, it’s a professional resource for Cornwall, the whole design reflects very high professional standards.”
The Centre has already played host to the Massage in Schools Programme (MISP), the first of a series of external specialist training sessions for complementary therapy students and also provides the I.T.E.C. (International Therapies Examination Council) training in massage, sports injury therapy, reflexology and aromatherapy as well as offering an introduction to homeopathy, traditional medicines and counselling.
John Latham, Principal of Cornwall College said; “I’m pleased to see that so many medical and healthcare professionals are supporting this new facility. We constantly strive to ensure that our courses provide the knowledge and skills that employers need, this helps the local economy and ensures that Cornwall College students are better placed when it comes to embarking on their chosen careers.”
