In his role as Surgeon General of the United States, Dr Vivek Murthy observed the growing health crisis of isolation first-hand. He traces the roots of the problem and shows how loneliness lies behind some of our greatest personal and social challenges, from anxiety and depression to addiction and violence.  The cure, real human connection, is deceptively simple and easily applicable and is a medical necessity if we want to stay healthy, emotionally and physically.

In 2021, the Government's National Overprescribing Review established the healthcare system's over reliance on medication and led to the College of Medicine launching the Beyond Pills Campaign. Three years on, the speakers will look at shifts in primary care, the increase in non-medical interventions such as social prescribing and an integrated approach to deprescribing.

 

 

 

Dr Jeff Rediger, a New York Times bestselling author, a physician and psychiatrist, will explore the transformative power of the mind-body connection in healing.  Drawing on scientific research and personal stories, he delves into the idea that the body has a remarkable ability to heal itself when given the right conditions, and offers a hopeful perspective on wellness.

Dr Malcolm Kendrick will explain why he thinks the cholesterol hypothesis has had its day and needs to be supplanted by a different hypothesis – one that actually pre-dates the cholesterol hypothesis by several years, having first been proposed by Karl von Rokitansky in 1852. 

Prof Helen Chatterjee has built an evidence base to support the benefit of culture, nature and community-based approaches to health and wellbeing.  Her presentation will highlight the links between arts and culture organisations and the wellbeing of the communities who visit and use them. 

The aim of the clinic is to cover an integrative approach to metabolic health, which includes addressing stress, nutrition, exercise, sleep and psychological wellbeing. Dr Steve James will describe their journey and cover the challenges and progress made with setting up what they believe to be the first metabolic clinic for stroke patients in the UK.

Dr Rosy Daniels will share her vision for an integrative healthcare scenario of the future, with person-centred holistic health coaching at the heart of the evolution needed to transform human healthcare, reduce healthcare costs and optimise health outcomes.

Understanding the benefits, the risks and the limitations and unknowns of using a precision cardiology approach is critical to heart and vascular health optimization, longevity and vitality.  In this presentation, using a step-by-step framework validated in over 400 patients, attendees will learn how to use precision cardiology for clinical outcomes optimization, going beyond traditional, siloed approaches.

Jane Rose-land and Dr Pallavi Devulapalli will present the highlights and challenges of a diabetes programme that has been delivered through a 7 surgery PCN group over the past 2 years using a Nutritionist as a Health and Wellbeing Coach, who provides information on why it’s important to follow a ‘real’ food, low carb diet, its practical application, lifestyle factors and with a focus on optimising the health of the whole person.

Estimates show that lower back pain costs the UK economy around £10 billion annually in direct healthcare costs with some interventional treatments actually increasing disability and pain.  Dr Ampat’s presentation will highlight ways to manage back pain more effectively that could lead to considerable savings in both healthcare and economic productivity.

 

The Integrated Medicine Alliance (IMA) which is a group conceived by the College of Medicine with the purpose of encouraging and optimising the best use of complementary therapies alongside conventional healthcare.  Dr Naveed Akhtar, together with the leads of the other member complementary organisations, will discuss the challenges and opportunities in integrating complementary therapies into mainstream healthcare. 

Migraine is a prevalent neurological disorder which significantly impacts individuals' quality of life. Dr Sui Wong will highlight the growing body of research that underscores the influence of lifestyle factors on the frequency and severity of migraines and will provide practical, comprehensive solutions on how to improve migraines.

Freddy Jacquin, a well-known hypnotherapist and one of the leading figures in the field of clinical hypnosis, will highlight how hypnosis works synergistically with other conventional and complementary therapies to improve overall health outcomes such as managing pain, reducing stress and anxiety, improving sleep, and addressing a range of chronic conditions.

Chronic pain is usually complicated by other physical and mental long-term conditions as well as personal, social, occupational and financial issues. Polypharmacy frequently adds to the patient’s burden. Kairos Rehabilitation Trust is a small medical charity, working for the NHS in Greenwich it offers one-to-one therapy sessions when other options like physiotherapy, talking therapies have not succeeded and the pharmacological ceiling has been reached. 

Medically unexplained symptoms are complex, however an overlooked reason for these symptoms may be related to the individual's underlying breathing efficiency (breathing pattern disorder or sleep disordered breathing).  Dr Louise Oliver will highlight how inefficient breathing is common in medically unexplained symptoms, chronic disease and frequent attenders. How we breathe matters and breath can be changed.

In this presentation, Dr Jernej Drobez will examine the importance of adopting an integrative framework in pain management, which merges pharmacological solutions with innovative non-pharmacological interventions. This includes not only conventional physical therapy, cognitive-behavioural therapy, and lifestyle changes but also non-invasive techniques that tap into neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to adapt and reorganise—to achieve long-term alterations in pain perception.

Dr Rupal Dave will discuss the role yoga can play in whole-person health and the evidence to support its use. She will highlight the challenges, risks and limitations and provide advice on adaptations and considerations for neuro-divergent individuals.  The use of yoga for NHS patients and staff will also be presented.

Dr Dean Ornish, a lifestyle medicine pioneer, they will discuss the role of telomerase and telomeres in the ageing process, what happens when they malfunction and highlight the beneficial impact that lifestyle factors such as diet, exercise, sleep and meditation have on slowing the ageing process and improving life.

Sir Muir Gray, public health authority on healthcare systems who developed the Live Longer Better programme and this year launched the Let's Walk More movement, and Angela Rippon, CBE, broadcaster, journalist and founder of the Let’s Dance national initiative are both on a mission to reverse the negative aging stereotypes that pervade society, by encouraging the nation to become fitter.