The project arises from my 14 years as a complementary therapy (CT) practitioner as part of a multidisciplinary hospice team. It examines the intersection of palliative care and CT from the perspectives of people with a range of life-limiting illnesses, CT practitioners and health professionals in order to analyse how they impact upon understanding of and access to palliative care services. I am paying particular attention to differences and similarities in care between people with a cancer diagnosis and those with Parkinson’s disease, dementia and other non-cancer conditions.
I hope that the findings can be used to improve practice through education and regulation, resulting in better mutual understanding and appropriate collaboration to reduce inequalities and improve the human experience.
Academic History:
University of Sunderland (2004-5): Cert. Ed. (Teaching in Further Education)
Open University (2014-2018): BSc(Hons) (Open) – First-class (Multidisciplinary degree comprising credit transfer from Cert. Ed; K230 Death and Dying; K235 Dementia Care; K311 Certificate in Promoting Public Health; SD329 Science of the Senses; SXL390 Researching Biology and Health Science)
Durham University (2018-19): MA Research Methods (Anthropology – Medical pathway) (concludes September 2019)
Activities:
Postgraduate Associate of the Wolfson Research Institute for Health and Wellbeing
Nursing Support Worker member of the Royal College of Nursing
Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council registrant
Member of the Federation of Holistic Therapists
Student member of the Faculty of Public Health
Authorised volunteer with Healthwatch, the independent statutory health and social care consumer champion (2018-ongoing)
Awarded Durham University Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship (North-East) (October 2018)
Publication:
Lambell A (2019) ‘Other-unproven’: US research and its implications for complementary therapies in the UK. Cancer Nursing Practice. doi: 10.7748/cnp.2019.e1586
