NHS wants to employ a Spiritual Healer

11 October 2015

Categories: Skepticism , Tags: Religion, Reiki, CAM

The NHS are advertising (opens new window) for a spiritual healer (opens new window).

We are seeking a Reiki Therapist/Spiritual Healer to work within the Breast Unit at St Margaret's Hospital Epping.

The therapist will provide Reiki/Spiritual healing to patients to enable them to cope with the emotional, physical and spiritual issues of dealing with their cancer journey.

For this role you will need a Reiki Master Usui System (opens new window) qualification.

It looks like there are only 4 "qualified" practitioners in the UK.

http://www.reikimembership.com/MembershipListing.aspx?state=United%20Kingdom (opens new window)

Reiki is a form of alternative medicine (opens new window) developed in 1922 by Japanese Buddhist Mikao Usui (opens new window) Since its beginning in Japan, Reiki has been adapted across varying cultural traditions. It uses a technique commonly called palm healing or hands-on-healing. Through the use of this technique, practitioners believe that they are transferring "universal energy" through the palms of the practitioner, which they believe encourages healing.

They last advertised the same role (opens new window) in 2011.

Professor Edzard Ernst, the world's first, and only, professor of complementary medicine said "We have published a systematic review of reiki…the evidence is simply not there. There are a number of studies, they are flimsy and the ones that are rigorous don't generate a positive result. In my book the evidence is even negative,"