Subsidized complementary therapies for staff and volunteers at a regional cancer centre: a formative study

In the United Kingdom, the Government has acknowledged workplace stress and burnout in the National Health Service by establishing Improving Working Lives Standards, which recognize the need for a range of support mechanisms. Staff in oncology hospitals experience considerable stress because of the emotional intensity of work that involves limited clinical success, sustained contact with seriously ill/dying people, and serial bereavement. Evidence suggests that providing complementary therapies at work can help to reduce anxiety, depression and blood pressure and, thus, increase well-being. We used a purpose-designed questionnaire to assess awareness of, access to and the value placed on a complementary therapy service for staff and volunteers at a regional cancer centre. Free-text data from 167 completed questionnaires, subjected to qualitative analysis, revealed an overwhelmingly positive view of the service, but concerns about access. The service appeared to be a victim of its own success in that it could not meet demand within its existing resources and, thus, meet its potential for improving working lives; limits to resources also affected the conduct and rigour of our evaluation. We conclude by discussing the impact of the evidence-based practice culture on levels of funding for complementary therapy services operating in hospital settings.