Aromatherapy in Hospitals
The IFA promote aromatherapy as a Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM), alongside the NHS and other government-led healthcare systems worldwide. The perception of aromatherapy by the medical profession has come a long way since our humble 1989 Aromatherapy in Care programme - where aromatherapy was first introduced into the NHS. Since then, aromatherapy has been accepted for licensing exemptions from district councils in London and beyond (first granted to IFA trained therapists in 1998). There has also been an increase in recognition by healthcare insurers as well as localised GP surgeries but there is still some way to go until it is recognised as mainstream.
We place volunteers into various hospitals with our therapists currently working in oncology departments, as midwives, in ICU units, maternity wards, hospices, special care units, childrens hospitals and with autism groups. Many are now in paid position.
Aromatherapy is available in the following hospitals, many of which IFA members volunteer at:
Featured: The George Eliot Hospital
The George Eliot Hospital is one of the forerunners in providing aromatherapy to pregnant women and has been assisting other NHS Trust’s around the country in setting up a similar care package. IFA Chair (at the time) and midwife Sue Mousley coordinated the ‘Oasis project’, which was originally set up to help patients who were experiencing a high level of anxiety about their hospital visits. The hospital Oasis team uses aromatherapy practices on both patients and staff alike. The Oasis dedicated therapy room opened in Coombe House and provides a peaceful environment where a person can relax and learn ways of controlling their feelings of anxiety. The service gradually expanded to offer relaxation therapies to members of staff as well as patients, and to go to patient bedsides where appropriate. Therapies provided include hand massage, aromatherapy, visualisation, relaxation and breathing techniques as well as advice about dealing with stress and anxiety. Oasis is supported by the hospital management, everything else is self-funded with fundraising activities and donations, this has included local team events and Sue doing four half marathons. The IFA sponsored the George Eliot Hospital with the startup equipment, fundraised for this project and provided volunteers.
- Abingdon Medical Centre
- Alder Hey Children's Hospital
- Andaman Surgery
- Barts Health NHS Trust
- BHR Hospitals
- Birmingham Women's and Children's (Maternity Ward)
- Buckinghamshire Healthcare NHS Trust
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CCG
- Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust
- Capefield Sugery
- Chawton Park Surgery
- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
- Chertsey Helth Centre
- Chipping North Health Cente
- Christie NHS Foundation Trust
- County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust
- Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
- Dockham Surgery
- Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Dr Rauth Partnership
- East London NHS Foundation Tust
- East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust
- East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust
- East Sussex Hospital
- Evergreen Surgery
- Fairfield Medicial Centre
- Forest Health Care
- Fountain Centre
- Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust
- George Eliot Hospital
- Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Great Ormond Street Hospital
- Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust
- Hampshire Hospitals
- Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust
- Heron NHS
- Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- Hull University Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
- Kings Family Practice
- Kent Community Health NHS Foundation Trust
- Kingston Hospital
- Leicester's Hospitals
- Ling House Medical Centre
- Lingfield Surgery
- Little Bushey Surgery
- Liverpool University Hospitals
- Macmillan
- Marlowe Park Medical Centre
- Milton Jeynes University Hospital
- Moorisde Surgery
- Mulberry Centre
- Newbridge Surgery, Wolverhampton
- Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Newholme Surgery
- NHS Coventry and Warwickshire CGC
- NHS Forth Valley
- NHS Gloucestershire Care Services
- NHS Grampian
- NHS Lothia
- NHS Vale of York CGC
- NHS Wales
- North East and North Cumbria NHS
- Norfolk Community Health and Cre NHS Trust
- North Middlesex Hospital
- North Yorkshire CCG
- Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital
- North Bristol NHS Trust
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust
- Oakley Surgery
- Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust
- Oxted Health Centre
- Parkwood Family Practice
- Pavilion Family Doctors
- Pond Tail Surgery
- Queen Elizabeth Hospital, King's Lynn
- Queslett Medical Centre
- RDaSH NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
- Royal Surrey County Hospital
- RWT Primary Care
- Sherwood Forest Hospital (NHS Foundation)
- South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- South West Yorkshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust
- St George’s University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- St Helens and Knowsley Teaching Hospitals
- St Luke's Christ Church Chelsea
- Stockport NHS Foundation Trust
- Sherwood Forest Hospitals
- Sunrise Medical Centre
- The Ash Surgery Liverpool
- The Limes Medical Centre
- The Park Surgery Great Yarmouth
- The Quays Practice
- The Red Practice
- The Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust
- The Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust
- The White Practice
- Tudor Practice Stockland Green
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals Birmingham
- University Hospitals of Derby and Burton
- University Hospital Dorset NHS Foundation Trust
- University Hospitals of North Midlands
- University Hospital Southampton
- University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust
- Wakefield Recovery College
- Walsall Healthcare NHS Trust
- Wells Health Centre
- White House Folkestone
- Whittington Health NHS Trust
- Wirral University Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Wivenhoe Surgery
- Yellow Practice
- York and Scarborough Teaching Hospitals
Please note this list is not exhaustive.