Dr Ben Goldacre Bad Science lecture at BCNH was a great success

Last night’s lecture was informative, interesting and entertaining. Dr Goldacre is passionate about his topic as much as we are passionate about nutrition.

BCNH students and graduates asked the Principal to arrange another lecture with Dr Goldacre, this time on critical appraisal of research papers. They would very much like to hear his views on various trials.

A BSc student summoned it up: ‘everyone in attendance is in agreement that critical appraisal from outside (and inside) can be only beneficial, as it is the start point for improvement.’

BCNH Action Plan

1. Next week we will appoint a Scientific Advisor to the college with whom we will have regular meeting and reviews of the course material. We agree there needs to be better scientific rigour to our recommendations.

2. We hope to have a monthly debate with the Scientific Advisor to talk about recent studies, to give us an opportunity for critical self appraisal and to improve our research analysis.

3.
On our blog we should have a regular feature where we review quotes from our own profession, checking for bad science and highlighting spurious claims such as 'bilberries are good for eye strain'!

Deadline for change: 18 November 2009 (as challenged by Ben)

NTC PRESS RELEASE

3^rd November 2008

Press Release

Nutritional Therapy Council opens discussions on Possible Statutory Regulation of the Nutritional Therapy Profession

The Nutritional Therapy Council (NTC), along with representative of The British Association for Applied Nutrition and Nutritional Therapy (BANT), met the Health Professions Council on 30^th October to discuss the possible statutory regulation of practitioners of nutritional therapy.

The Nutritional Therapy Council (NTC) is concerned that the provision of nutrition advice in the UK is currently unregulated to a large extent. At present, there is a voluntary regulatory framework in place that is intended to offer the public a route by which they can verify the credentials of practitioners of nutritional therapy. However, there are a number of inadequately trained practitioners who have done courses at institutions which claim to give them the skills to give individualised nutrition advice. As a regulator, the NTC has the protection of the public at its heart and is exploring the options for mandatory regulation of nutritional therapy practitioners

For further information on the Nutritional Therapy Council please see our website or contact ppr@nutritionaltherapycouncil.org.uk

www.nutritionaltherapycouncil.org.uk

Ends.

Carol A Granger BSc (Hons) MSc MIBiol CBiol MBANT

Registered Nutritional Therapist

Nutritional Therapy Council

www.nutritionaltherapycouncil.org.uk

STUDENTS' COURSE WORK ACCESSED VIA BCNH WEBSITE

BCNH students can now download their course materials, lectures and assignments from a secure, password-protected website. This feature is great news as it enables students to acess material 24/7 from anywhere in the world.

BCNH students can also download research papers, provided by the college, free of charge. Students love it and we doo, too.

We hope to extend this facility to BCNH graduates in the new year, subject to sufficient interest.