Health Minister John Hutton is expected to confirm today plans that would see complementary practitioners such as acupuncturists and herbalists being “struck off” if they do not comply with government regulations.
Proposals for a complementary and alternative medicine council were first mooted last September, in an attempt to ban rogue practitioners.
Around 1,500 practitioners are already registered with a range of voluntary bodies, but as many as 1,000 operate independently.
Recent research has shown that one in five people regularly uses complementary therapists to treat a variety of conditions, including cancer.
CAM would possess similar powers to those of the General Medical Council, and would assess practitioners’ qualifications and set minimum training standards.
Posted by James at March 2, 2004 04:33 PM