Acupuncture led me to the most amazing place and team I’ve ever worked with.
We always love to know how our former students are doing since life at the NCA.
Robin Sunley graduated in 2011, with a BSc in Acupuncture, he told us all about his dream role as an Acupuncturist in the Trinity Holistic Centre, which is a department at James Cook University Hospital.
How did you get the job?
I applied for it through NHS jobs. The interview process included a written element covering patient safety, Red flags, etc, a practical part to actually treat a member of staff and an interview with the management team.
How has your career progressed?
When I graduated from the NCA I started in private practice working in two clinics (one in Middlesborough and one in Darlington) both clinics were well established thanks to my friend and fellow NCA graduate Keith Thomas. During this time, my eldest daughter was born and the opportunity to work at the Hospital (closer to home, regular hours) was too good to miss. I started work on September 15 2014 and I can only say that it has been the most amazing place & team I’ve ever worked with.
Not only do I work to support patients in the cancer pathway, but more recently I was invited to join the Thoracic surgery team and now spend time each day treating patients as part of the surgery pathway as part of another incredible team.
In addition I am working with Leeds University on a study of the benefits of acupuncture in treating peripheral neuropathy caused by chemotherapy.
Can you tell us about the unit where you work?
I work at the Trinity Holistic centre at James Cook University Hospital in Middlesbrough. It is a specially built separate building at the hospital, the building itself is circular with a large reception area with 30 foot high ceiling in the centre with an amazing sky dome covering a large area of that. The treatment room, group treatment rooms, meeting rooms and kitchen are in a larger circle around the reception and the whole centre is in it own grounds with parking spaces and beautiful garden (where I teach Tai Chi classes in summer).
All the services we run from this centre we also run from Friarage Hospital in Northallerton at The Sir Robert Ogden Macmillan Centre, a newly built cancer centre in North Yorkshire. Both of these hospitals are part of our South Tees Trust. Along with the centre we do most of our work on the actual wards of the hospital, treating the majority of patients in their hospital beds.
How long has the Trinity Holistic Centre been going?
The centre opened 17 years ago and was run as an independent service but 6 years ago the building was taken over by the NHS and became an official department with a new management team.
What does the centre do?
We offer complimentary therapy to cancer patients but we also help cardio-thoracic surgery and renal patients in addition to GP referrals. We provide acupuncture, auricular acupuncture, aromatherapy, reflexology, clinical hypnotherapy, clinical psychology, reiki, mindfulness, counselling, hair loss advice/wigs, Tai Chi classes, gardening, Look Good Feel Better, support groups, pet visiting to name but a few!!
How is it funded?
Trinity Holistic Centre is a registered NHS charity. We are funded through a number of sources, each department pays for us to treat their patients where it’s at our centres or going onto so specific wards to see them. We also have a great number of people who fundraise for us. Every penny raised is towards a worthy cause.
Who else is in the team?
We have quite a big team really, we have three NCA graduates, myself, Faye Powell and Kathryn Almond (who is also our head of service and manager). There are also five on the massage team, a counsellor, one mindfulness practitioner, one hypnotherapist, two receptionists/administrators, two managers. Plus we have a whole load of amazing volunteers who help run the clinics and centres and helped us deliver over 4,500 acupuncture treatments alone last year!
We are not independent we are interdependent, without these wonderful people the centre wouldn’t be the magnificent place it is today.
What are the main differences between working in the Trinity Holistic Centre and as a private practitioner?
Each had its own benefits. As we are employed by the NHS we get a regular pay cheque, holiday pay and pension. Also I don’t worry about day to day running of the building or reception cover. One of the best things is being part of a team at the centre and the wider NHS. You can just pick up the phone or just pop across the road and speak to one of the oncologists, consultants, surgeons, physiotherapists or nurses. You also have access to all the hospital facilities; it’s a great support network.
Also clinically, all our patients are referred to us by consultants or specialist nurses, so we don’t have to go out and look for patients, we also have access to the full medical history and ongoing contact with their medical team. This is great because most of our patients have had surgery or chemotherapy so we see a lot of red flags daily. Sometimes we have to provide end of life care, which can be emotional but hopefully we can help when they need it most.
What is your favourite part of the job?
Getting to help people is amazing, you build a relationship with people over many years, some we have seen nearly every week for five years. It’s just about being a part of a Community and a truly amazing team.
One of my highlights is the story of how I joined the Thoracic surgery team. I was invited to attend a surgery conference in Paris by Thoracic Surgeon Joel Dunning. They were considering incorporating Acupuncture into non opioid based pain relief for patients. I was observing surgical procedures in Theatre on my return, and then we designed a treatment programme pre and post-surgery as part of an opioid reduction plan. This work contributed to a nomination for a Parliament NHS award and a trip to the House of Commons for the ceremony. That’s pretty rock ‘n’ roll!
