The Integrated Healthcare Collaborative (IHC) has welcomed the government’s announcement last week on close contact services, which means the return to work for therapists and practitioners working in complementary, traditional and natural healthcare industry from 13th July in England. The IHC and its member organisations have been working hard for many months to help bring this about.
The last few months have been a difficult time for the whole country, but has a significant impact on this sector, because the majority of workers are self-employed or running small businesses. They are all delighted that they can return to work and start helping patients again, many of whom need support for the challenges that lockdown has brought. The huge level of support for this sector, and its contribution to health and wellbeing, was demonstrated by a change.org petition on the subject, which attracted over 20,000 signatures in 2 weeks.
IHC member organisations have been issuing guidance to their members for some weeks now, so that they can return to practice safely. It will be a great relief to everyone concerned to begin the long road back to normality. The IHC hopes that therapists throughout the UK will be able to return to work without delay, so is continuing to press the Scottish Government.
The IHC is committed to supporting therapists, helping patients, and improving healthcare, and will continue to pursue those goals and build a strong integrated health service which brings together the best of complementary, traditional and natural healthcare with conventional Western medicine.
For more information on the announcement, and the government’s guidance on working safely during Covid-19:
https://www.gov.uk/government/news/beauty-salons-set-to-reopen-for-some-services-next-week-under-new-government-guidelines?fbclid=IwAR0x9XepT09GHq2R_JWEb994QpgcSxwYLkBNblwLZD4snOFcYuBer3yJeHk
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5ef2889986650c12970e9b57/working-safely-during-covid-19-close-contact-services-030720.pdf
