Complementary Therapy Programme
In 2006, we received a very generous donation from a fundraising group based in Ipswich who had a particular interest in Complementary Therapy for cancer patients. Complementary Therapy (not to be confused with Alternative Therapy) is the term most commonly used to describe approaches to health care that are not generally considered to be part of orthodox medicine, but which may have the potential to benefit patients and to work alongside mainstream health services.
The use of certain Complementary Therapies to support patients who have a diagnosis of cancer has increased during the last ten years and there is a growing body of evidence to confirm claims as to the positive effect that particular complementary therapies can have.
Our Cancer Information Centre has one of the private interview rooms specifically fitted out in order to administer Complementary Therapy to cancer patients as a part of the service that we offer. Initially, most of the work was carried out by one person who is a Nurse, Counsellor and Complementary Therapist. It was our intention to expand this service and to establish additional therapists who would be able to go out into the community to administer therapy to patients in their own homes.
This service has proved to be very popular and the number of referrals that we now receive is increasing regularly.