SOMERSET TRUST
FOR INTEGRATED HEALTHCARE


Our Mission

- To integrate conventional and complementary medicine within an NHS primary care practice (initially in Glastonbury)
- To offer a subsidy to ensure that complementary treatments are available to all patients of the practice

We believe, and we want to demonstrate, that this approach is more beneficial to patients, and at least as cost effective to the NHS, as the present system based entirely on conventional medicine.


Objectives

1. To continue to fund the project and research the results, at least until April 2001. From April 2001, our objective is to obtain Mendip Primary Care Group funding.
2. To continue to maximise publicity for the project
   - within the Mendip Primary Care Group
   - to wider audiences: other NHS practices, and others in the medical profession and complementary medicine


Implications of these Objectives

1. The Trust will fund the project until 2001. This will require about £600/month at the present rate.
In addition, we need to fund further research (£10,000) bringing the total to about £25,000.
This involves developing plans to raise this funding from:
   - Trusts
   - Businesses
   - Individuals
   - Other donations

2. The Trust will re-focus treatment priorities to maximise the strength of our case, in terms of:
   - patients
   - conditions
   - treatments

3. The Trust has set up a second stage research project to be completed by May 2000. This must focus on proving the ‘cost effectiveness’ case. We need a researcher and a project brief.

4. We shall continue to maximise publicity:
   - networking with other projects
   - spreading the word (including our own Internet site)

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