PRESS RELEASE - Spring/Summer 2008

GL11/TLC Natural Remedies Health Project

Doctors at Dursley's May Lane Surgery are to offer free alternative therapy sessions to selected patients in a pilot study thought to be a first in Gloucestershire.

They are interested in finding out whether herbal remedies, massage, change of diet, reflexology and Reiki treatments may be beneficial to patients for whom orthodox medical treatment has not been helpful.

Dr Kathy Curtis-Hayward, a partner at the surgery, said: "We will be working closely with Ali Mapstone, a specialist in natural therapies, and asking selected patients if they would be interested in trying a different route to better health.

"Of course, we would not be suggesting it to anyone with a serious medical condition which would normally be successfully treated with orthodox medicine. But there are many complaints such as eczema, migraine and chronic fatigue for which we accept there are no instant cures.

"It could be that trying alternative therapies may be a solution," she said.

Patients who agree to try the alternative route will have three one-hour sessions with therapist Ali Mapstone. As a result of the initial appointment, different remedies may be prescribed.

"These could include trying different herbal remedies, starting a new diet, or learning about particular massage points to ease pain," said Dr Curtis-Hayward ‘’A session of reflexology or Reiki may also be proposed.

"If the treatments are successful, patients can then choose to continue with the alternative regimes in the future, taking more control of their own health. As a practice, we are constantly looking at ways to encourage people to be more in control of their health, to be aware of how they can better help themselves."

The volunteer patients' experiences will be monitored closely by the surgery. "This will be an extremely interesting pilot scheme," said Dr Curtis-Hayward.

The scheme has the full support of the GL11 Learning Community's Reaching Communities programme which is initiating a range of health-related projects in Cam and Dursley.