King Charles III – “Integrated health and post modern medicine” and The Healing Garden

Dr. Michael Dixon, recently appointed Head of the Royal Medical Household, has recently praised King Charles III’s 2012 paper, the first paper ever written by the former Prince for a medical journal, which expands on themes raised by HRH The Prince of Wales in a speech to the College of Medicine on the 3rd May 2012 at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. Integrated Health and Post Modern Medicine [read here] stating that it was “ahead of its time”.

King Charles III, throughout his time as HRH the Prince of Wales, has been proactive in promoting holistic and integrative health and “healing” and has been an advocate of harnessing nature to achieve this.

In 2002 HRH the Prince of Wales designed a “healing garden” for Chelsea Flower Show, with Jinny Bloom, a transpersonal psychologist, using sacred geometry [the Fibonacci sequence] and ancient religious symbols, and filled this garden with hundreds of varieties of herbs and plants traditionally used, medicinally, in Britain for centuries. Designed in the hope to “heal the rifts in Britain” it won a Silver medal.

This was the very first time that I attended the Chelsea Flower Show, as a second year student of Homeopathy, with my Zenith SLR camera strapped across my chest, I was kindly allowed entry, via a side entrance, with permission to lock my bicycle up out of sight, and as I picked my way back to the public arena, emerged through some bordering trees and shrubbery, right onto the perimeter of “The Healing Garden”. This was my first ever Chelsea Flower Show garden experience, which years later I was fortunate enough to attend over a 7 year period, in legitimate terms, as a part of the design team for M&G’s hospitality marquee.

Therapeutic Gardens are now a mainstay at The Chelsea Flower Show. [read more]

Eight years later, in 2010, The College of Medicine and Integrated Health was founded,  a phoenix from the ashes of Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health, chaired by Dr. Dixon, which was set up “to reform healthcare so that it works for everyone in a way that’s inclusive, progressive and compassionate. We want to redefine medicine beyond pills and procedures, to reconnect practitioners with patients, people with their environment and use both conventional and non-conventional approaches to health. The College is a ‘coming together’ of some of the brightest minds in the UK including NHS pioneers, scientists, CAM professionals, students and members of the public.”

Dr Michael Dixon, was the former medical director for the Prince’s Foundation for Integrated Health, set up by Prince Charles to promote complementary medicine. In 2010 when homeopathy’s place within the NHS was under threat, Dr. Dixon disputed findings in a 2010 report by House of Commons Science and Technology Committee, who said using public money on the highly-diluted remedies could not be justified. Dr Michael Dixon believes homeopathy still has a role in the NHS.

“We should not abandon patients we cannot help with conventional scientific medicine.”

“If homeopathy is getting results for those patients, then of course we should continue to use it.”

The report acknowledged that there was a public appetite for homeopathy, with surveys showing satisfaction rates of above 70%.