The CHO acquires the BRCP
The CHO is delighted to announce it has taken ownership of the British Register of Complementary Practitioners (BRCP) – one of the UK’s longest running multi-disciplinary registers of complementary and alternative medicine practitioners from the ICNM (Institute of Complementary & Natural Medicine), which is to close.
This acquisition will enable aspiring complementary therapists to train from student level to senior practitioners at BRCP approved colleges – fully supported along their career paths.
One of the benefits the CHO will bring to BRCP members is the experience gained from its significant progress in raising the profile of Healing, through a robust public relations campaign. This continually raises the debate on Healing and related therapies in the national, regional, local, online and broadcast media. Furthermore, the CHO has embarked on live shows such as the Mind Body Spirit & Wellbeing Festivals in addition to active engagement on social media. The CHO will extend its dedicated marketing to the BRCP, promoting members, including them in high profile events and bringing case studies of success to the fore.
Sue Knight, chief executive of the CHO, commented: “The greatest significance of this acquisition is that both the CHO and the BRCP are renowned for their authority, track record and credibility. Bringing them closer will build on trust honed among the general public and widespread practitioners. We’re also excited about the unique synergy this acquisition will bring. While both organisations are seen as the hallmark of best practice, the CHO brings its ‘spiritual heart’ – both are essential components in the delivery of patient care.
“Healing and other complementary therapies go hand in hand when it comes to educating the public how they support and enhance medical treatment. We look forward to leading the debate, improving standards and furthering education for what brings immense benefits to society.”
During acquisition negotiations it was uncovered that Michael Endacott was involved in the founding of both organisations. Endacott played an integral part in initiatives to develop a centralised approach to multi-discipline regulation and registration of complementary medical practitioners.
Endacott was celebrated among the healing community for his unstinting optimism to unite natural healers, complementary medical practitioners and alternative therapists, to develop an educational system that would promote good quality practice.
All BRCP members will retain existing member benefits in addition to those offered by the CHO, including parliamentary representation through the CHO’s membership of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Integrated Healthcare.
History of the ICNM which previously administered the BRCP
In 1928, Nina Hosali founded The Nature Cure Clinic (NCC).
The NCC took a pioneering approach to natural medicine by offering free treatments to those who could not afford them. At the time, this was a highly innovative and visionary approach to health.
For almost 20 years after Nina’s death in 1987, the NCC continued as a charity, running a small clinic and offering affordable treatments. The NCC then decided that it was unable to reach out sufficiently with its limited resources and began to look for a new way to continue Nina’s vision on a larger scale.
In 2007, the NCC and the Institute for Complementary Medicine (ICM) merged to form the Institute for Complementary and Natural Medicine (ICNM). The ICM was founded as a charity in 1982 and established the British Register of Complementary Practitioners (BRCP) in 1989.
The BRCP is one of the longest-running, multi-disciplinary registers of CAM professional practitioners in the UK. It promotes quality, best practice, raising educational standards and integrated medicine.
The BRCP offers a career structure from Therapist, Practitioner, Senior Practitioner to Fellow and contains many divisions in complementary medicine (covering over 100 therapies).
About Michael Endacott:
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2005/sep/28/obituaries.mainsection
