If all herbalists have to be regulated they will:
- be professional practitioners with an agreed level of training
- have a Degree in Herbal Medicine (like all those at Napiers)
- regulated by a professional body
- undergo Continuous Professional Development
- adher to a code of ethics and be insured to practice
- be more accessible to G.P.s and other healthcare practitioners
- have access to a wide range of herbal medicines (of controlled quality)
- anyone could practice, calling themselves a medical herbalist - even if not qualified!
- there will be widely varying standards of professionalism and qualifications
- they'll have little ability to hold dialogue with G.P.s or other healthcare practitioners
- not be able to supply a full range of herbal medicines to patients
PLEASE ACT NOW
The consultation closes on 16 November this year. Please do one of or all of the following:- Write to your M.P. in your own words or download a template of Sample MP Letter 1 on the right.
- Copy this to your M.E.P. or M.S.P.
- You can find your M.P.'s address here
- Fill in the Department of Health's Consultation Paper (download here) or
- Write to the DH Consultation Team, in your own words or using Sample DoH Letter 2 or Sample DoH Letter 3 on the right, to request they register your opinion
THANK YOU
This is so important. People have used herbal medicines for at least 25,000 years and we want to retain our right of choice to do so in the future. Post-2011, in order for you to have the most choice in herbal medicine, it is vitally important that herbalists are regulated. This way you will have access to both a small range over-the-counter licensed herbal remedies and to a wide range of prescription herbal formulas. And, you will also know your practitioner is properly trained, up-to-date and operating from a strict code of ethics. It is important to remember that herbalists themselves want to be regulated. Only by acting now can we influence the Government's decision.
