HPC Makes Regulation Recommendation To Secretary Of State For Health, UK

Main Category: Complementary Medicine / Alternative Medicine
Article Date: 13 Nov 2008 - 3:00 PST

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The Health Professions Council (HPC) has made a formal recommendation to the Secretary of State for Health advising that Medical Herbalists, Acupuncturists and traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioners should be regulated.

This follows the 'Department of Health Steering Group on the Statutory Regulation of Practitioners of Acupuncture, Herbal Medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine and Other Traditional Medicine Systems Practised in the United Kingdom' report that was published in May 2008.

The report proposed that the HPC should be the statutory regulator for acupuncturists, medical herbalists and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners which are currently not statutorily regulated. In response to the report, the Secretary of State for Health announced that a consultation would be held on the report's recommendations.

HPC's Chief Executive, Marc Seale, said:

"The HPC has made a recommendation to the Secretary of State for Health advocating the regulation of acupuncturists, medical herbalists and traditional Chinese medicine practitioners.

"The HPC was set up in order to protect the public and we strongly believe that statutory regulation can more effectively assure that practitioners are meeting standards and are fit to practise."

1.Under article 3 (17) of the Health Professions Order 2001 it states the Council may make recommendations to the Secretary of State concerning any profession which in its opinion should regulated pursuant to section 60(1)(b) of the Health Act 1999.

2. The Health Professions Council is an independent, UK-wide health regulator set up by the Health Professions Order (2001). The HPC keeps a register for 13 different health professions and only registers people who meet the standards it sets for their training, professional skills, behaviour and health. The HPC will take action against people who do not meet these standards or who use a protected title illegally.

3. For further information about the Health Professions Council and the regulation of new professions please see the website www.hpc-uk.org

The HPC currently regulate the following 13 professions. Each of these professions has one or more 'protected titles'. Anyone who uses one of these titles must register with the HPC. To see the full list of protected titles please see: http://www.hpc-uk.org/aboutregistration/protectedtitles

- Arts therapists
- Biomedical scientists
- Chiropodists / podiatrists
- Clinical scientists
- Dietitians
- Occupational therapists
- Operating department practitioners
- Orthoptists
- Paramedics
- Physiotherapists
- Prosthetists / orthotists
- Radiographers
- Speech and language therapists

The Health Professions Council