New government proposals for CAM practitioners

The British health minister has confirmed plans to tighten up the law on who can practise acupuncture and herbal medicine. Under the proposals, practitioners will have to register with a new regulatory body before they can work. This new Complementary and Alternative Medicine Council will set out the minimum training requirements for acupuncturists and herbal practitioners and only people meeting these requirements will be allowed to register with the council and call themselves an acupuncturist or herbal practitioner. Currently around 4000 practitioners are registered with a number of voluntary organisations, but many others are not. The Council would operate in a similar way to the General Medical Council, which regulates doctors in Britain. These changes were recommended by the House of Lords Committee on Science and Technology back in November 2000.

BBC News, 2 March 2004