The College of Medicine’s Chair, Dr Michael Dixon, has reflected on a ‘positive’ year in his seasonal address to members, saying that despite the challenges the pandemic has continued to bring in 2021, there is hope for an ambitious and productive 2022 – in which our organisation continues to champion healthy food, community and fights to push integrative medicine into the mainstream.
2021 began with the publication of our Manifesto: Hope for the Future, a ten-year plan for better healthcare; with some of its recommendations (around healthy eating) beginning to get national leverage and featuring in 2022’s White Paper following the National Food Strategy.
Dr Dixon thanked those practitioners who have continued to provide a diverse number of virtual courses to members during 2021, including Freddy Jacquin’s Free Friday Therapy at Four, daily exercise with Sarah Bazin, Zhineng Qigong with John Millar, Breath Practices with Heather Mason, Yoga Nidra with Stephan Hein, Harmony in Living & Dying with Dr Eleni Tsiompanou, Laughter Yoga with Sara Kay, and Lu Jong with Dr Deniah Pachai.
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Conferences have continued to go ahead online too – with over 1,000 attendees at the third International Social Prescribing Conference in March and around 600 attendees at the European Congress for Integrative Medicine in November.
Looking ahead to next year, the College will continue to run our successful In Conversation With… series – look out for Heather Richards on Tuesday 18th January on how to boost your mood, and an Art Journey with Catriona Alderton & Nour Saleh on Tuesday 25th January, plus a host of new conferences await – find out more on our events page.
Dr Dixon told members too it was time to move integrative healthcare into a new dawn.
He said: ‘Our hope is that 2022 will be the year that we break the glass ceiling of conventional medical thinking. We have seen it happen recently in areas such as social prescribing and climate change. Why not now the whole integrated health message?
‘We must now move from a College with original and laudable ideas supported by people who believe in our message to become mainstream. Only then can we really tackle the huge gaps in health and care, and also resuscitate morale and hope amongst our beleaguered workforce.’
He urged members to help spread the word, saying: ‘The College can’t do it on its own – it will require everyone on the decks, so please do everything you can to spread the message and to enrol new members so that we can take our message forward in strength.’
The College of Medicine wishes you a very happy holiday season and we look forward to seeing you again soon in the year ahead…
