The Children's Complementary Therapy Network: Past, present and future

Abstract

The Children's Complementary Therapy Network (CCTN) was established in the UK in 2003 as a multidisciplinary network in response to the growing trend of CAM use amongst children, and the professional isolation experienced by practitioners. The objective of this article is to outline the past, present and future initiatives of the CCTN. The list of CCTN activities, and the outcomes of these initiatives, was derived from the experiences and observations of the author, as well as from anecdotes from CCTN members and key stakeholders. To date, the CCTN has organised five successful national conferences on paediatric CAM service development and a number of health topics, including autism, cerebral palsy, palliative care and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Other advocacy, research and educative activities include encouraging disclosure of CAM use by parents through the dissemination of 'Tell your Doctor' posters, an evaluation of CAM use in children with autism, and supporting the development of a paediatric strand within a new post-graduate integrated medicine programme. Collaborative network efforts like the CCTN and other paediatric CAM networks have an instrumental role in advancing paediatric CAM research and practice, while progressing its move towards integration into the NHS. © 2012. Royal Pharmaceutical Society.