Sustainable Healthcare
We’re all aware of the financial problems in the NHS, and the growing health bill that the nation faces. Across the globe, attempts are being made to provide sustainable healthcare – healthcare that leads to lasting improvements for patients, reduced ongoing medical costs and a reduction in damage to the environment.
At Impact, we know that many of our patients become much more aware of their health, and how they can take steps to improve it, during the course of treatment. Patients have the opportunity to explore the possible underlying reasons for their ill health, and look at ways to improve it, physically, mentally and emotionally.
“The treatment has been fantastic for my back problem. I feel so much better after only a few sessions compared to physiotherapy which hardly helped at all. Thanks a lot for your help and for the exercises which I do at home.”
Impact comments book
Many patients who have treatment at Impact experience improvements in their health and wellbeing, and are able to function much better in their daily lives. Some have been able to start or return to work, others have begun study courses. After completing treatment at Impact, many people also use fewer NHS resources than they did before;
- 87% of patients report reducing or stopping prescribed medication.
- 76% of patients go to see their GP less.
- Some no longer require hospital treatment.
“ I have found this service very helpful. Since I’ve been seeing Fiona, I have managed to come off antidepressants and I’ve gained lots more confidence which is great.”
”I have had acupuncture on both knees and both shoulders. My motivation has improved so that I can walk again and do some jobs I was unable to do… I am now happy with life, and applaud all the work that Impact put in ”
Impact provides effective interventions for long term conditions like musculoskeletal disorders and mental health problems, for which there are conventional effectiveness gaps. Just under half the patients referred by Radford Medical Practice had suffered their conditions for more than five years and some for many years longer. In nearly every case, therefore, the patient had already received all possible conventional treatment, with very limited results. The MYMOP graph below shows that, even for this group of patients, the outcomes have been positive – the change in MYMOP scores of 1.75 indicates significant improvement.
It is clear that using Impact’s services is very useful for both patients with long term conditions and GPs, leading to improvements in health which benefit patients and free up time and resources for GPs. . As one of the GP partners comments, “a good alternative when conventional medicine is not working”.
Environmentally friendly medicine
Acupuncture, chiropractic and homeopathy are low-tech systems of medicine, with very low costs, apart from practitioners’ salaries. The equipment for one acupuncture consultation, including needles, costs around £1. The remedies required for one homeopathic prescription cost just 16p. There are no significant costs associated with chiropractic. We have the flexibility to practice from a range of venues, and can tailor treatment packages to individual or organisational requirements.
There are no unwanted side effects to these treatments, and no danger of addiction or toxicity. It is well known that drug based treatment can lead to effects that are frequently worse than the original problem. These complementary interventions are ecologically sound, and understand that each individual is part of the wider environment, both affecting and being affected by it.
To read more on the concept of ecological and sustainable medicine, visit the Center for Sustainable Medicine in Vermont at www.sustainablemedicine.net. Set up by homeopath and acupuncturist Didi Pershouse, the Center is bringing together physicians of all types who are concerned about the ecological impact of healthcare, and the relationship between health and environment.
