Hello all, Its been a while since I wrote something for the blog. I have reached a significant milestone for me and Cumbria Hyperbaric, and I figured this warranted an article.
Sometime during 2018 I decided to sit down and write an overview of HBOT. I subsequently had that favourably reviewed by some big names in the field. I shan’t name them here, but if you would like to know, feel free to drop me a line. This grew into writing further chapters on physics and physiology and lots to do with equipment. This grew into a desire to put together a body of material that could serve as a training program for hyperbaric oxygen therapy practitioners who are considered non-medical or wellness and complementary therapy in nature. I wrote an article about this in 2019 which detailed the plan to put together a training manual. That was called Diving Physics, The Training & Operations Manual, FIFO Services and … Pantomime?
For the longest time, and to the dismay of many, the medical camp and the wellness camp are well known to be divided and polarised in the UK and around the world with a great many medical professional vehemently opposed to any kind of non-medical administration of HBOT. With good reason in some cases where safety and individual welfare is marginalised. I’ve never like that there is so much division and antagonism. It’s not good for the modality. So….The project grew and I wrote more. Then Covid came along and took the wind right out of my sails as some of you will know.
During my prolonged convalescence, I got back to the writing and this week, in the late hours of Tuesday evening 29 April 2025, 7 years after I began this project, I came to the end of an endeavour that I sincerely never thought I would see the completion of. It is finished. I’m only sorry that some of those that began the journey with me aren’t here to see it. Regular readers may remember the article “Radio Silence – Where I’ve Been” when I disappeared for a long while.
I’m pleased to say though, there are new people in my life now, Wonderful people who have contributed hugely to my life and encouraged me, picked me up when I was down and kept me focused all the way along. You know who you are. And my boys of course. Always supportive. As I speculated before, I do indeed have angels in my corner.
I have completed my project, and it has grown into what I now call the Cumbria Hyperbaric Knowledge Development Program. It consists of 5 modules. Namely these are:
- Introduction and Overview to HBOT (Theory)
- Basic Level Wellness Chamber Operator 2ata (Theory)
- Foundation Level Wellness Chamber Operator 2ata (Theory)
- Intermediate Level Wellness Chamber Operator (Theory)
- Supervisor Level Wellness Chamber Operator (Theory)
You can read about each module on the school platform. https://hayden-dunstan-s-school.teachable.com/l/products There you will find all the details and products which include bundled courses at pretty good discounts for bundled purchases.
I suspect though, that even though the writing is done, the real work of promoting this now begins. Although over the last year there has been significant interest with people signing on to do the earlier modules.
Naturally I offer personalised bespoke practical endorsement at your venue if this is desired. First though, the idea is to complete the theory work before any contact time on the online platform.
Now it’s no secret, I really don’t like the Teachable platform, But I have managed to get it all to work very nicely. Its great from the users end, but from the back end its not very user friendly. I digress, however. You can find all products by clicking on the image.
Over the last 18 months I have been writing and formatting and then re-writing and re-formatting in between actual work to reach this milestone. Its been a long ‘ole haul. What began 7 years ago with no specific goal in mind has somehow kept pulling me back in and I’m glad it did. I’m finally able to say it’s done. With angels in my corner, It is finished.
Why would I do this? Good question.
It’s no secret that there is great opposition and division in this field with many medical colleagues citing safety and compliance of equipment as reason to disallow any application of hyperbaric technologies to non-medical personnel. I think everyone who knows me, knows by now I don’t support this position. Provided wellness practitioners are adequately trained and their equipment is properly constructed and approved, they shouldn’t be stopped from providing generic wellness protocols.
This fight has been fought though, by Professor Phillip James and Sir David Downie. This was fought before 2008 when what we call wellness or complementary therapy was de-regulated and was removed as a listed service for medical regulation. But as readers will see, if they read the work, we’re still plenty regulated in other areas.
I’ll spare readers all the refernces here. There are hundreds of refernces to legislation, equipment, scientific literature and so in in the programs. Every book is thoroughly referenced.
So, with that in mind I endeavoured to create a knowledge development pathway that wellness practitioners and complementary therapists could use to ensure they know what they need to know to operate safely. This includes information on physics, physiology, medicine, science and literature, technical knowhow, safety procedures and loads more. Its also very useful to medical professionals as well. It’s not limited to wellness applications, but the key focus is in that vane. All you need to do is read a contents section from any given book to see what’s in it. My hope is to build some kind of a bridge between the currently divided and polarized factions in the field of HBOT.
This divide has been raging for a long time, and it has to be said that wellness companies aren’t going to just give up and go away. I was told by a well-known figure in the field once,
“There are two camps in the UK, and never the twain shall meet”.
This wellness stuff is likely here to stay. I support it. I work with it daily. My job is to train wellness practitioners in the safe use of HBOT equipment and chambers. I train doctors and nurse too by the way. What better way to put my diving experience and knowledge into use now that I don’t dive commercially anymore.
Another life as a diver
The best way forward to my mind is co-operation, and if my work can provide some kind of a unit standard as it were, for what is currently a sector with less than ideal guidance, then that will make me very happy indeed.
The work is available in hard copy or on the online platform. Judging by current people doing the work it takes a bit of time to get through. Its not a one-week course. Yet it costs about the same.
Some of the printed copies
I estimate someone doing the all-in-one bundle of 5 modules might take a couple of months or more to work through what has now grown to about 1500 pages all in. Each module is manageable though. It’s not one massive book that needs to be read all at once. Its modular and can be done over a year or more if you wish then kept as a refernce library. The modules start out fairly small but grow as they develop, in intensity and in page numbers. Bear in mind though, many pages are taken by knowledge review quizzes, lesson summaries and assessments. So it is a little deceiving to look at 1500 pages and thinks it’s all hard slog reading. Its not. I have written it all in simple language. After all, I’m a simple person when it comes to this sort of thing. What could possibly fill that many pages. Read it and see. You’d be surprised.
My ultimate goal is to get to all published and accredited. This is still in progress. Updates to follow. Hopefully soon I’ll be able to provide properly bound versions.
In the meantime, if youre in the HBOT business. This will be a very valuable and useful tool for you and you staff. Details on the website or on the school platform https://hayden-dunstan-s-school.teachable.com/
Until next time, stay safe
Hayden.
cumbria-hyperbaric.org 