Press release posted 8 August 2025
Manchester’s specialist cancer centre, The Christie, has appointed 48-year-old Anthony Preston, from Stockport, as its first fully-funded trainee integrative therapist. This is believed to be the first of its kind anywhere in the world.
This new 12-month training role aims to strengthen the future of complementary therapy in cancer care at The Christie and overcome recruitment challenges the service has faced. Anthony, who was appointed in April this year, aims to become a fully qualified integrative therapist by the end of the programme.
The new role also helps to ensure that The Christie has a secure and long-term sustainable model for its integrative therapies team.
The service provides therapies such as reflexology, massage, aromatherapy, hypnotherapy, acupuncture/acupressure, therapeutic touch, and creative visualisation to patients undergoing cancer treatment. These therapies help ease pain, needle phobia, claustrophobia, treatment-related anxiety, trauma and other stressors linked to cancer. They can be vital for patients coping with complex procedures or prolonged treatments.
Anthony brings extensive NHS experience from a variety of clinical settings. A personal interest in sport sparked his passion for integrative therapy. "I studied a Level 3 Massage Diploma outside of work due to my passion for running and cycling," he said. "Years later, it turned out to be the foundation for my new career direction.”
His training involves hands-on delivery and observation across the integrative therapies team. He’s currently rotating through all areas of the service, building experience and offering support where it’s needed most.
Each day begins with a handover of triaged patients and assignments. The team then works in wards or outpatient areas, offering therapy sessions.
“We support patients at some of their most vulnerable moments. Seeing them at their lowest point and being able to offer treatment or comfort is incredibly rewarding,” said Anthony. "To be able to help a patient relax and have a moment of calm, taking away some of their pain after surgery or reducing their anxiety about treatments, is a privilege."
Anthony describes one of the most rewarding aspects of the role as “leaving a patient’s bedside knowing I’ve helped them feel calmer, more comfortable, more in control.
“The feedback about Anthony has been extremely positive from staff and patients,” adds Eileen. “Having confident and knowledgeable therapists, who apply what they are learning straight away in clinical practice, will ensure our patients continue to get the best quality care possible. I am certain that by the end of the 12-month training programme, Anthony will have a promising career and future ahead of him.”
Anthony describes the working environment as supportive: “The Christie is a friendly, inspiring place to work. The staff here have a passion and commitment to the hospital and to doing all they can for patients and their families. The team has been fantastic and welcoming. It’s the kind of place where you feel your voice really matters.”
The creation of the trainee post was prompted by several challenges facing the integrative therapy profession. The number of educational pathways into complementary therapies has declined sharply in recent years. “Due to funding cuts, many colleges and universities are no longer offering training, diploma, or degree courses in complementary therapy,” explains Eileen Hackman, The Christie’s clinical lead for integrative therapy. “At the same time, applications to our therapist posts have been falling, and many candidates applying had passion and skills but lacked the necessary oncology experience.”
A further challenge is that the traditional volunteer-based entry route into therapy roles in cancer care is no longer viable within the NHS due to patient confidentiality requirements. Volunteer therapists are not permitted to access clinical records, which limits their ability to assess patients and document complementary treatments, creating a potential safety issue.
Recognising these barriers, Eileen has championed the development of a training post with access to in-service support and clinical exposure. “Working with oncology patients requires specialist knowledge, skills, and experience, so our eligibility criteria had to reflect that,” said Eileen. “We needed a new route to build a sustainable workforce for the future.”
The Christie believes this is the first post of its kind in the NHS. The role has already prompted enquiries from other NHS organisations interested in adapting the model to meet their own service needs. “This could be the beginning of a new approach to workforce development in integrative healthcare and perhaps even a nationally funded apprenticeship programme,” says Eileen.
"Being the first of anything has its pressures, but the beauty is that it's a blank canvas to create something meaningful and useful," says Eileen. “The trainee therapist project is something I’ve dreamed of for some time. It’s amazing to see it come to fruition.”
Anthony echoes that sentiment. “I feel very privileged to be the first of hopefully many trainees coming into the role in years to come.”
The trainee role attracted strong interest during recruitment. The Christie received over 50 applications for a single post. After initial screening, 16 candidates were invited to an innovative recruitment event in January 2025.
The event gave shortlisted applicants the opportunity to deliver a 5-minute presentation and to engage directly with the integrative therapies team. The event was designed to reflect the ethos of the service. “There was relaxing music playing, we had our therapy props out and our stress management videos were playing,” recalls Eileen. “We wanted candidates to feel calm and see the heart of what we do.”
“There were rounds to get through, and those who scored highest were invited to traditional interviews,” said Eileen. “Anthony stood out from the start, and it was evident he had lots of transferable skills, both professionally and in life. His passion and humility really came across.”
The format was positively received, even by unsuccessful candidates, and the model is now under consideration by the Trust’s HR team for future recruitment campaigns.
The trainee post reflects The Christie’s long-term commitment to offering complementary therapies and wellbeing support alongside cancer treatment. Integrative therapy is fully embedded in clinical practice at The Christie, and complementary therapies have been available to patients for many years
“We’re leading the way in how integrative medicine can support mainstream cancer care,” says Eileen. “The importance of this service to patients cannot be underemphasised. We aim to deliver effective, supportive care with a kind and compassionate workforce.”
Anthony adds, “The Christie has a reputation for being a world leader in cancer care. Being a part of that in a new role was a challenge I didn’t want to miss out on.”
As the first year of the trainee programme progresses, The Christie will use insights from the experience to guide its future expansion. The team plans to evaluate the impact of the role through structured feedback, patient surveys, and team reflections.
For now, the focus remains on providing patients with complementary therapies that make a difference and on equipping the next generation of integrative therapists to deliver care safely and effectively at The Christie.