9 mins
Spa industry defends claims that not enough is being done to welcome cancer patients
Industry professionals have spoken out following an ITV News story that called for spas to change their policies on treating cancer patients. The story was based around a complaint from a client named Jo Mackie who threatened to sue Center Parcs after being told she couldn’t receive certain treatments because she had previously been treated for cancer.
Traditionally, many spas have not been insured to treat cancer patients but in recent years huge strides have been made by bodies such as
Wellness for Cancer, Made for Life and Beauty Depsite Cancer to train therapists in safe treatments. Center Parcs was, in fact, one of the frontrunners in the movement to make spas more accessible, collaborating initially with Wellness for Cancer then with Made for Life.
A spokesperson for Center Parcs told Professional Beauty, “At the time of Jo’s visit, we were actually in the last phase of our wellness training journey, which started in 2015. As of January this year, we now have more than 30 therapists at each spa trained with Made for Life.”
Brands including Voya, Lava Shells, Germaine de Capuccini and Espa now also offer training, and spas such as The Spa at The Midland, The Spa at Ramside and Bedford Lodge have all launched cancer-safe treatments. However, there is still work to be done. Ruth Corke, managing director of Profiles Health & Beauty in Hassocks, which offers the cancer-safe Hydrotherm Tranquil Sea massage, commented, “There are so many courses available; there is no excuse not to offer a specialist treatment. Colleges also need to identify that this is a problem and not scare newly qualified therapists with untrue reasons for not treating these clients.”
Jennifer Young, who trains therapists via her Beauty Despite Cancer programme, added, “I hope that we all remember that we can welcome those living with and beyond cancer with the right level of specialist qualification.”