Needles and herbs

DH consultation paper on the regulation of complementary and alternative medicine

The Department of Health opened a consultation on the "Statutory regulation of practitioners of Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and other traditional medicine systems practised in the UK" on 3 August 2009, which closes on 2 November 2009.

This consultation seeks respondents' views on whether, and if so how, to regulate acupuncturists, and practitioners of herbal medicine and traditional Chinese medicine. It seeks to identify the nature and risk to the public associated with these practices, so that a method of proportionate risk-based regulation can be considered.

Closely linked with this, the Department of Health is considering the wider issue of regulatory burden and whether other healthcare practice groups could be de-regulated. This follows the Department of Health's analysis into whether to extend regulation to a broader range of professional and occupational groups working in the healthcare sector. Wragge & Co previously reported on this on 27 July 2009.

Read Wragge & Co's analysis for a summary of the issues addressed in the consultation.