New teaching innovation award goes to Salisbury

The winner of the Society’s first ever Teaching Innovation Awards was Salisbury Homeopathy College, whose entry was based on groups of students pitching a homeopathy business plan to a local charity.

The inspirational project was devised by teachers Susie Nichol and Sue Stotter, who were presented with the award at the Society’s annual conference.

All entries had to describe a specific lesson or learning experience which students had undertaken over 2010/11, and the main criterion was to show how the students were engaged actively in their learning.

Presenting the awards, senior education advisor Linda Wicks said: “Every homeopath is here today because they have been inspired and motivated by teachers. Whatever experience or interest initially led you to study homeopathy, it grew as you were encouraged to learn and explore. Teaching is a creative art – the most inventive programmes and activities lead people to reach their own understanding and find answers for themselves.

“All entries, from courses and individual teachers, demonstrated a very high standard of work and, above all, the sheer enjoyment of teaching and learning.”

Salisbury’s vice principal and co-director Lulu Badger said: “We are delighted to be the  proud winners of the Teaching Innovation Award. It is from this firm foundation that Annie and her team are delighted to be celebrating their tenth year as a course provider in this field of medicine.”

Second place in the awards went to the British School of Homeopathy in Exeter, run by Mo and Ali Morrish. Their submission described a student-run hayfever clinic, which brought in new patients from the busy shopping centre.

In third place was Elaine Watson, known for her pioneering work on medical science courses which are used by a number of homeopathy colleges here and abroad.  She submitted an entertaining take on the wonders of the human digestive system.

Linda said: “We intend this to be an annual award which will celebrate the continuing achievements of teachers in our recognised courses.”

The Society of Homeopaths is supporting an epetition lodged with the Department of Health, calling for complementary therapies, including homeopathy, to be more widely available on the NHS.

The petition follows a nationwide campaign by so-called “sceptics” who have been lobbying against complementary medicine being funded by the NHS.

Homeopathy has been a part of the NHS since its inception in 1948 and there are three homeopathic hospitals, in London, Glasgow and Bristol, as well as NHS homeopathic clinics and over 400 GPs who use homeopathic remedies in their daily practice.

The overall NHS spend on homeopathy is only £4 million out of a £110 billion budget, compared with £466 million spent treating hospital in-patients with adverse reactions to conventional drugs.

The Society’s research consultant Rachel Roberts said: “Preliminary research suggests that homeopathy is a cost effective option for the NHS, with a relatively small amount of money generating high patient satisfaction levels.”

An independent report by economist Christopher Smallwood into complementary therapies in 2005 concluded that if four per cent of GPs offered homeopathy as a frontline approach to treatment, it would result in an annual saving of £190 million. For more on this and other studies see Cost benefit studies

The epetition can be signed here http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/11068

For more on the campaign to keep homeopathy on the NHS see http://www.britishhomeopathic.org/what_you_can_do/campaign_for_homeopathy