Social, cultural, dietary, behavioural and biological characteristics determine the health of an individual, society and a nation. The School of Integrated Health is a unique initiative of the University of Westminster, whose aim is to explore how the various disciplines that apply to these disparate influences can work together to produce better health for all sections of society. The School provides innovative and academically challenging courses and research programmes in the areas of interprofessional practice, evaluation of clinical practice, social work, community development, complementary therapies, nutrition and public health. The School also offers a range of short courses to professionals and others interested in continuing learning and working together. There are two Departments in the School. The Department of Community and Collaborative Practice, comprises the Centre for Advanced Professional Practice and the Centre for Public Health Nutrition. The Department of Complementary Therapies has developed the widest range of complementary therapy courses in Europe. The BSc (Hons) Health Sciences degrees in Herbal Medicine, Homoeopathy, Nutritional Therapy and Therapeutic Bodywork and Traditional Chinese Medicine (Acupuncture) were the first named degrees of their kind in the UK. The programme has recently been augmented by a new BSc course in naturopathy. Clinical teaching is provided in the Polyclinic and the School has close links with the Marylebone Health Centre which pioneered the integration of complementary therapies into mainstream general practice. The School was awarded a score of 23 out of a maximum of 24 by the Quality Assurance Agency in October 2000.

The Department now provides the most comprehensive range of courses in complementary medicine in the U.K. The Quality Assurance Agency assessment score of 23 out of 24 confirmed the quality of the provision by an external agency. The BSc courses share themes of health sciences, practitioner development and research skills. This sharing of the teaching and learning environment for modules of the themes provides the opportunity for students to work alongside one another, facilitating understanding of other therapies. The majority of the staff in the Department are highly experienced practitioners. Clinical training is provided in the innovative Polyclinic, where students observe and carry out patient treatments, under the supervision of fully qualified practitioners. The clinic currently provides low cost treatment in 14 complementary therapies and is available to the general public as well as by referral from general practitioners and other health care professionals. The MSc in Advanced Professional Practice includes modules for those practising in Acupuncture, Complementary Therapies, Herbal Medicine, Homoeopathy, Naturopathy, Nutritional Therapy and Therapeutic Bodywork. The MSc is designed for practitioners who want to respond to the rapidly changing professional and scientific foundations of health and complementary medicine. An MSc course has also been introduced for non-practitioners who wish to find out more about the field of complementary medicine.