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Herbal Medicine, Acupuncture & Tcm Under Threat In Uk


Muriel

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I don't know if you're aware of this, but our Government is doing their best to remove our right to choose alternative health care. At the moment, Herbs, Acupuncture and TCM are under threat. If they succeed, we won't be able to buy simple things like Evening Primrose Oil, Garlic capsules, etc and many other everyday items that many of you use for yourselves and your dogs, cats etc. Nor will we or our dogs be able to have acupuncture treatments. We have all of 5 days to let them know we're not happy - link to let your views be known at the end...

 

Even if you choose not to use any of them, it's also about our right to choose if we wish to....

 

Here's the email I got this morning....

 

Major crack down on alternative medicine

 

Herbal medicine, acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine could become a thing of the past. Yes, you read that right and it is not a joke. Whilst this particular matter may not bare direct reference to Codex, it is a brilliant example of how government bodies and powerful corporations can take away something valuable and integral to many peoples’ lives very quickly.

 

In May 2008, 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’ published its report.

 

The report recommended the regulation of acupuncturists, medical herbalists and Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners. In response to the report, the Secretary of State for Health announced that a consultation would be held on the report’s recommendations. This was anticipated to commence in autumn 2008.

 

However, now herbal medicine, acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) are under serious threat in the UK. Trade bodies believe these therapies could even cease to exist in Britain within a few years; practitioners could stop practicing and people may not be able to get some herbal pills, capsules, tinctures and ointments they use every day.

 

How did this happen and where does this sudden fear come from? The last we all knew ‘traditional therapists’ were to be regulated in the interest of public safety. It seemed fair...

 

But now the government seems to have made a sudden U-turn and is instead considering a ‘lighter touch’ licensing system.

 

Red Light! – Licensing?

 

This special licensing system will give no special legal rights to practitioners. As a result, medical herbalists will not have access to some regulated herbal medicines. They will instead only be allowed to work with simple tinctures, extracts and dried herbs. Medical doctors will also not be allowed to refer patients to them.

 

This will have a significant and detrimental impact on traditional medicine:

 

• The public will lose the choice of a wide range of high quality herbal remedies.

 

• Traditional remedies from China and India will only be available through the Internet or backstreet suppliers – thus posing a serious health risk to the public.

 

• The public will forever lose important professional expertise in ensuring standards for herbal medicine, including opportunities for integrative healthcare with mainstream health professionals.

 

• A number of businesses that have specialised in manufacturing top quality herbal products for professional use only (e.g. MediHerb products) will cease business.

 

The government has set up a very complex consultancy process regarding this issue, which frankly is so confusing that it almost appears as if they are trying to hinder the man on the street from getting involved and voicing an opinion. They are almost certainly bargaining on the fact that many of those affected by their planned ‘crack-down’ don’t speak English as a first language and will find this ‘consultancy’ very difficult to understand. The deadline to respond is 2 November 2009, so at least we still have time on our side,

 

http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Consultations/L ... /DH_103567

 

or you can access the questionairre directly at:

 

http://www.info.doh.gov.uk/questionnair ... ultion.nsf

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Thanks, am aware of the threat and will sign.

 

Besides the threat of having helpful treatments made unavailable to my animals, it means that people such as myself who have problems with ABs and sometimes have to rely on herbal medicine could end up with no treatment at all.

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