This week, I attended an event in Westminster hosted by the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Beauty and Wellbeing on the complementary therapies sector, which aims to raise awareness on the sectors support for everyone’s physical health, mental health and wellbeing and taking pressure off the NHS.
I was interested to meet therapists working in the sector, plus representatives from Spabreaks.com, the Federation of Holistic Therapists and the National Hair and Beauty Federation, to learn more about how complementary therapies have played a preventative role in supporting people’s health and wellbeing or supporting those with existing health conditions. For example, it has been surveyed that doctor visits were reduced by 37% for patients who undertake these treatments which can help reduce pressures on the NHS.
Co-chaired by Carolyn Harris MP and Judith Cummins MP, the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Beauty and Wellbeing (APPG BAW), recently launched an investigation to explore how complementary therapies can support everyone’s health, evaluate the skills gaps facing the industry, consider how to ensure the viability of businesses and jobs, and review potential government interventions to support the sector’s future.
The Beauty and Wellbeing APPG have launched a call for written evidence to better understand:
• the value the sector brings to the UK’s economy and society
• how complementary treatments can play a preventative role in supporting
people’s health and wellbeing, or support those with existing health conditions
• how the NHS can be better integrated with the sector
• the skills gap facing the industry and how we can attract talent
• how has the pandemic changed demand for these services
• how to ensure the long-term growth of the sector and ensure those that work in
it are able to make a good wage.
I encourage complementary therapy businesses in my constituency to respond to the inquiry into the complementary therapies sector and to raise awareness of the value the sector brings to the UK economy and the mental wellbeing of people.
Great steps have been made to secure the beauty industry greater recognition in Parliament and Government, however the value of complementary therapies in supporting everyone’s health is not being adequately recognised and I was glad to attend an event which raises awareness of these important businesses which are key to my constituencies economy.
Treatments such as massage and can play a vital role in helping those with long-term health conditions manage their symptoms. Equally, highly-trained complementary therapists can play a preventative role in helping identifying health conditions in their clients.
With our NHS under increasing pressure, it is more important than ever that the benefits of complementary therapies are recognised.
I look forward to hearing the results from the inquiry and encourage the Government to support the sector’s future, and ensure its role in supporting the UK’s health is maximised and I encourage businesses in my constituency to respond to the call for evidence.
The deadline for Call for Evidence submissions is midnight on 11th November. The terms of reference, call for evidence questions and information on how to submit a response are available on the Group’s website: https://baw-appg.com/complementary-therapies-inquiry/
