HRH The Prince of Wales rewards social entrepreneur for bringing complementary treatment into the NHS mainstream (24/01/2006)
18.04.2006
A groundbreaking social enterprise, supported by Futurebuilders England, that integrates complementary treatment into the NHS will be awarded a special prize by The Prince of Wales on behalf of his Foundation for integrated health who run biennial Awards for Good Practice.
Get Well UK, run by Boo Armstrong, will pick up the Integrated Health Futures Award on 27th January 2006.
A not-for-profit company, Get Well UK supplies complementary healthcare to the NHS through GPs surgeries and campaigns for further integration.
The scheme enables NHS patients to access complementary treatments - including acupuncture and osteopathy – through referral by their GPs for quality-assured, free treatment.
The judges said: “Get Well UK represents an exciting indication of where integrated healthcare might go in the future. Our visit confirmed the robustness of the model and the high level of satisfaction with the service given, from the point of view of a therapist, GPs and the practice manager. The judges were also extremely impressed with your social entrepreneurship and political astuteness."
Get Well UK’s Founder and Managing Director, Boo Armstrong, said: “Get Well UK has been recognised as blazing a trail for the integration of complementary treatments into the NHS. Early indications show that patients are reducing medication and having fewer referrals to secondary care - saving money for the NHS. We now look forward to securing more contracts with PCTs and Practice Based Commissioning groups so we can make access to complementary treatment a reality for more NHS patients.”
Get Well UK was also one of the first organisations to receive an investment from Futurebuilders England, the government backed fund for the voluntary sector.
Futurebuilders’ Chief Executive, Richard Gutch, said: "Not-for-profit organisations like Get Well UK are forging ahead in delivering quality services that considerably improve patient care. The award is recognition that the Get Well UK’s vision of the future, with complementary therapists, GPs, practice managers and patients working together to achieve the best possible outcome, is realistic and achievable. By encouraging further dialogue between voluntary service providers and PCT managers, NHS patients can benefit from the excellent services that the voluntary sector can provide.”
Futurebuilders has now agreed investments of £36 million in 102 voluntary organisations across England, including £15.5 million in those providing health and social care. It provides a combination of grants and loans to voluntary organisations to enable them to provide services for public agencies such as PCTs.
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For more information please contact:
Boo Armstrong, Managing Director, Get Well UK. 020 7383 0800, 07973 796945. [email protected].
For more information on Get Well UK: www.getwelluk.com
Alice Grahame, Communications Officer, Futurebuilders England, 020 7680 7890.
For more information on Futurebuilders: www.futurebuilders-england.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
1. The Integrated Health Futures Award judges comprised:
Dr. John Briffa, Health writer - The Observer,
Harry Cayton, Patient Czar,
Niall Dickson, Chief Executive, Kings Fund,
Kim Lavely, Foundation for Integrated Health (FIH) Chief Executive,
Dr. Michael Dixon, Chairman of the NHS Alliance, FIH Trustee,
Simon Fielding, Chair of Regulatory Advisory Group, FIH,
Peter Mackereth, Complementary Health Lead, Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Manchester,
Professor David Peters, School of Integrated Health, University of Westminster; FIH Trustee,
Dr Peter Smith, Vice-President of the National Association of Primary Care (NAPC), Caroline White, Chair, Guild of Health Writers, Freelance Medical Journalist
2. Get Well UK aims to make evidence-based, regulated complementary therapies available to NHS patients. An independent audit of Get Well UK’s services show a significant improvement in health outcomes.
3. 20% of the UK population use complementary medicine. 90% of treatments are paid for privately.
4. Public policy research Public health, private wealth commissioned by Get Well UK, published in November 2005, calls on the government to take action to reduce health inequalities and recommends the universal availability of acupuncture, osteopathy and chiropractic on the NHS.
5. Futurebuilders is the government’s £215 million investment fund for the voluntary sector in England. It will reopen for applications in May 2006.
6. Boo Armstrong was a finalist in the Young Social Entrepreneur Award 2004