The Research Council for Complementary Medicine (RCCM) is a charity founded in 1983, dedicated to developing high quality research in CAM.
The vision of RCCM is to widen the availability of and access to safe and effective complementary therapies for patients within the National Health Service and across the UK, in order to help in preventing disease and improve patients' health and quality of life.
Our members are researchers, practitioners and non-commercial organisations involved with the complementary medicine sector.
For subscribing members, depending on their level of membership (See Join the RCCM), there is an extensive 'Resources for CAM Research' section that is available, and access to our Linkedin social network. You can also sign up as an ordinary member for free to receive our quarterly newsletter.
What does the RCCM do?
Strategy:
RCCM’s focus for the year from October 2019 to December 2020 was on strength through collaboration. We will be looking outwards, engaging with regional, national and international organisations who share our values, working with them to continue to build an active and empowered community of UK CAM researchers. We will focus both on reaching out to CAM practitioners and researchers working across the UK, and looking further afield to strengthen our international presence through collaborating with international organisations and events.
Our key aims for 2020 were:
- To establish RCCM as the host of the ISCMR UK chapter. This will raise RCCM’s profile nationally and internationally and expand our network.
- To further engage with the international CAM research community through a strong presence at the European Congress for Integrative Medicine in London in 2020.
- To continue to work closely with the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for complementary medicine, in particular to agree a protocol for the PROMs project and begin data collection.
- To pilot the idea of RCCM regional groups, to be hosted by established CAM research centres. The aim of regional groups is to facilitate engagement with researchers and practitioners at a local and regional level, to support and foster interdisciplinary collaboration
The Publications section gives an insight into what has been achieved in the past. To access these publications, please join the RCCM as a Friend.
Who are we?
The Charity is managed by a Board of Trustees who give the RCCM their expertise and enthusiasm in areas such as CAM research, education, finance and administration.
The RCCM does not believe that CAM should replace conventional medical care, but rather complement it. We are unable to offer healthcare advice and always advise individuals to consult a qualified healthcare practitioner about any decision on using CAM. We advocate high-quality research into complementary medicine using appropriate and rigorous research methods and peer-reviewed protocols and publications. The RCCM does not necessarily endorse the views of the speakers at RCCM events, whose views are their own.