Yes To Life - CAM in the NHS - Opening Up Alternatives for People With Cancer

Yes to Life funds therapists to give specialised complementary therapies on the wards at University College Hospital, London. Complementary therapies can help oncology patients with the nausea experienced as a side effect of chemotherapy, with pain relief and, by helping with relaxation, can help reduce stress and insomnia. Each therapist sees up to eight oncology patients a day. Treatment is also available for families and carers, who can often be more traumatised by a diagnosis than the patient.

Our first therapist, Miriam Cardoso said, 'Patients are so pleased to have a complementary therapist here and word has spread like wild fire amongst the oncology staff, who are eager to refer patients to me. I visit the patients in their beds, where, whilst giving them massage or reflexology, they can opt to listen to music, to talk or to just have quiet. At a time when they could be feeling quite stressed in a clinical environment undergoing their tests and treatment, the forty minutes they spend having their complementary therapy with me is really like an oasis of calm for them.'

A patient survey carried out at the hospital revealed that all who took part would like to use the service again, and that half of them identified relaxation to be a perceived benefit, with other benefits noted as:

Easing pain
Lessening swelling
Improving sleep
Reducing high blood pressure
Regaining a degree of control over their lives
Lessening nausea
Assisting in dealing with shock/trauma
Improving mobility

'I was treating one patient in their bed one day when I heard a lady in the adjacent bed crying and quite distraught,' recalled Miriam. 'I asked if she would like complementary therapy and it really calmed her down and relaxed her. Her husband told me afterwards that she hadn't been sleeping and after the therapy she actually slept. You can see why we're all so enthusiastic about having these therapies available to patients here. We're very grateful to Yes to Life'

Patient Comments

'When I think about coming back for another cycle of chemo, I immediately think of my aromatherapy massage and it feels better..'

'It was so wonderful to have something to look forward to on the day of my radiotherapy. Reflexology provided a treat, and distraction from what was happening around me, a relaxation, a sense of wellbeing....'

'I will always remember the pleasure your massage lady gave to my wife as she lay bedridden two days before she passed away. That one treatment brought a lot of pleasure to both of us as I was at the point of feeling helpless and not knowing what more I could do.'

'In my opinion, the most important aspect of receiving complementary therapy was to put my body and mind in a state where the body could allow its own healing processes to operate. That is why I felt the help I received from Yes to Life was invaluable.'

We are currently funding:

Tom Hoyland - Reflexologist and Massage Therapist
Clare Anvar - Aromatherapist / Reflexologist

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