How hypnotherapists can demonstrate meeting UK standards

How do you show the public that you meet UK standards and have completed a legitimate professional qualification?
One way is to sign up to the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council. The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council – or CNHC as its known – was set up with government support as the voluntary regulator for complementary healthcare practitioners. CNHC holds a searchable online register of practitioners who have met UK wide standards. The register is also approved as an Accredited Register by the government-appointed Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA). 

Demonstrate you meet government-approved standards

There are currently over 5,500 practitioners on CNHC’s register and over 1,600 of these are hypnotherapists. All practitioners on the register are entitled to use the CNHC quality mark which shows you are signed up to CNHC’s Accredited Register.

The government recommends that, where members of the public are looking for practitioners, they use someone from an Accredited Register such as CNHC:

Both the Government and the Professional Standards Authority (PSA) recommend that when a patient or service user chooses to visit a health or care practitioner who is unregulated, only those on an accredited register are consulted.”  (Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Public Health, Jane Ellison MP, November 2015) 

Have an entry on CNHC’s online searchable register

All practitioners on CNHC’s register gain entry to the online search function so members of the public, employers and commissioners can find CNHC registered practitioners in their local area.

Have access to practical resources to publicise that you meet CNHC’s standards

As well as being able to use CNHC’s quality mark, all CNHC registrants have access to a range of resources designed to support you to publicise yourself as a CNHC registrant. These include the following items you can tailor by adding your own contact details:
  • A CNHC appointment card
  • A CNHC leaflet
  •  A range of PR and marketing tips
You can find a full range of professional advantages of CNHC registration on CNHC’s website here: Professional Advantages of CNHC Registration

Be part of the organisation that influences policy and decision-making

CNHC representatives take part in a wide range of meetings to move hypnotherapy and the wider complementary healthcare sector up the political agenda:
  • CNHC led the way on response to NICE Guidelines consultation
    In early January 2016, CNHC heard that the draft scope on NICE’s updated supportive and palliative care guidelines proposes removing complementary therapies. We alerted professional associations across the hypnotherapy and complementary therapy sector. We also contacted a wide range of cancer and palliative care centres plus national bodies such as Hospice UK, Marie Curie and Macmillan Cancer Support to make sure as many people as possible were aware of the proposal and could respond.
    At the time of writing NICE and has confirmed that it received a very high volume of responses on this consultation. These are currently being collated.
  • Getting in front of people
    Over the last year, CNHC has also focused on attending a wide range of meetings and events to raise awareness of complementary therapies, meeting government and NHS officials and contributing to key policy discussions.
  • Advertising and Research
    Since 2010 CNHC has been challenging the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) on its approach to evidence when considering advertising by complementary therapists. We continue to do this and will keep up the pressure on ASA to reconsider its view that Randomised Controlled Trials are the only valid measure of effectiveness.

What’s next?

We will continue to work on behalf of the public, our registrants and the sector as a whole to raise the awareness and credibility of hypnotherapy and the other disciplines we register. We will continue to do what we can to challenge NICE’s proposed amendment to its guidelines. We will also continue to challenge the Advertising Standards Authority’s approach to evidence in relation to complementary therapies.

If you want to know more about CNHC and our work you can email info@cnhc.org.uk or call 020 3668 0406
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Author: CNHC Chair, Michael Watson. Michael took on the role of CNHC Chair in January 2016. Prior to that he was Deputy Registrar at the General Osteopathic Council and went on to become Chief Executive of the British Osteopathic Association. Since 2013 he has been the lay registrar of the British Acupuncture Council, so has an interest in standards, in good governance and in enhancing these professions. Michael has a strong interest in patients having the right to choose the most appropriate healthcare services for them and feels that his background lends itself very well to supporting this in his current roles.

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