by Chris Holland, BBC News, Northamptonshire
Northampton General HospitalA consultant said that introducing hypnotherapy support into hospitals could help patients manage pain, anxiety and stress.
Northampton General Hospital will be offering alternative treatment.
Hypnotherapy is a type of psychotherapy that uses hypnosis to treat certain mental and physical health conditions.
Consultant anaesthetist Dr Paul Slater said the treatment option was “fairly novel” for the NHS.
“There are very few hospitals that offer hypnotherapy and it is unlikely that there will be any in the future that offer a service like ours,” he said.
Dr Slater and acute pain specialist Louise Foulsham-McFall will also be offering limited face-to-face support alongside online recorded sessions that patients can access from home.
He told BBC Radio Northampton: Dr Slater, who has used hypnotherapy for more than 10 years to help patients cope with anxiety about medical procedures, said the treatment could be thought of as “guided fantasy”.
“While daydreaming, your mind becomes more relaxed and you are more receptive to suggestions from the therapist, which allows for more effective management when dealing with pain, anxiety and stress,” he said.
“Going to hospital for a procedure, surgery or test can cause anxiety – it can be a major event in some people’s lives,” Foulsham McFall said.
“Developing ways to manage anxiety, encourage positive thinking and increase coping skills can all positively impact your experience and aid in your recovery.”
She added that clinical hypnosis is extremely safe.
“You will be treated courteously and respectfully and will not be asked to do or say anything that may make you uncomfortable,” she said.
Ms Foulsham-McFall accepted there “may be a degree of scepticism” about hypnosis due to its portrayal in the media and entertainment, but said patients are “never forced to do anything they do not want to do”.
