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British Holistic Medical Association

Medicine as if People Matter: Patients, Practitioners and Places

18 and 19 April 2008 - BHMA 25th Anniversary Conference in association with University of Westminster

The British Holistic Medical Association will soon be 25 years old, so they are holding their Silver Jubilee conference, Medicine as if People Matter: Patients, Practitioners and Places, starting at 2.00pm on Friday 18 April and ending at 6.00pm on Saturday 19 April 2008. The venue is the University of Westminster, New Cavendish Street, London W1, and the conference’s themes include: sustainable healthcare; taking care of ourselves, our community, our world; participation and engagement; citizenship and the co-creation of health.

Patients Association President and campaigning journalist Claire Rayner (current president of the Patients Association) will in opening the conference, will remind us why at a time when medical technology seems all powerful, Medicine as if people matter is more important than ever. The first afternoon of the conference will focus on the surroundings in which we practice and how important they are for enabling person-centred healthcare. Keynote presentations are to be given by Dr Sam Everington and Dr David Reilly. Dr Everington who is currently a council member of the British Medical Association, is a GP at Bromley by Bow, a community regeneration project where enterprise, education, environment and health go hand in hand. Dr Reilly, a well known figure in holistic healthcare, is lead consultant physician at the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital which has set out to create a place of beauty and healing, and in so doing offer a new model for a better healing environment. Former “Patients’ Czar” Harry Cayton will address the reception that follows.

A main feature of this first day will be an exhibition of entries to the BHMA - Nutri Centre Good Practice Award 2008 – Healing Spaces. This award is open to organisations whose surroundings reflect how architecture, interior design, the use of sound, light, colour, or new ways of using healthcare space creatively can empower holistic healthcare and co-creation. For those wishing to enter, details can be found on he BHMA website at www.bhma.org. The closing date for entries is 31 January 2008 and entrants will receive up to two free places to the Conference.

Saturday’s theme is patients and practitioners, and how to make people once again our healthcare system’s over-riding concern. The British Holistic Medical Association says money, technology, performance measures and management systems aren’t enough; that the NHS can only be sustainable if it fosters genuine participation in health creation, and supports staff to deliver patient-centred and values-led care. With all this in mind, the second day of the conference will look at patient and practitioner perspectives on personcentred approaches to healthcare. Professor Bob Sang will talk about patient-led initiatives such as the exper Patients’ Programe, Jan Alcoe about her own experience of empowerment and recovery, Chris Johns about mindful healthcare practice. The presentations and workshops will explore what medicine needs more of – healthcare that integrates mind, body and spirit; better information, communication and informed choice; mindful practice and a return to the values that first inspired us to become practitioners.

Download the British Holistic Medical Association: Medicine as if People Matter: Patients, Practitioners and Places leaflet (PDF)