The General Council andRegister of Naturopaths (GCRN) is urging its members to sign up to an international registry that has been set up to track the role of practitioners during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Naturopathy and Complementary Medicine COVID-19 Support Registry will collect data on patients are benefiting from preventative and supportive naturopathic care during the outbreak.
It was set up by naturopathic researcher Dr Ryan Bradley from the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM) in the United States.
President of the GCRN, Aliyyaa Spring-Charles, said: “It is important that naturopaths do not make any claims that they can cure or provide any specific treatment for COVID-19 but there is a supportive role they can play.
“The COVID-19 support registry will enable us to capture and acknowledge the role naturopathic practitioners around the world are playing in supporting patients through the global pandemic.
“I would urge BNA members to sign up so they can record where they are providing supportive care for patients concerned with the COVID-19 crisis.”
She added that the data produced from the research could be very beneficial when the crisis is over.
The GCRN has advised members who work in a clinical setting and who are considered ‘key workers’ that they can continue to practice.
But Ms Spring-Charles acknowledged that many other members had been forced to close their businesses: “The GCRN is aware that many members are currently existing in a limbo state. It is important that they know that we are here to support them now and in the coming months.”
She said the council would be organising a series of on-line talks on various topics including ‘How to build a successful online business during the COVID-19 pandemic’ and ‘immune support for all members and their patients’.
She added that some members might find it helpful to contact the NHS to offer assistance during the outbreak.
In response to the announcement by Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak that a support package would be available from June for the self-employed, Ms Spring-Charles said three months was too long to wait and there were many members who, due to their specific circumstances, would not receive any support at all.