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regulation
Prompted by the popularity of non-conventional therapies in the UK, the House of Lords Select Committee on Science and Technology made a 15-month study of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and their report was published in November 2000.
Most therapies are relatively safe, concluded the Select Committee — with the exception of acupuncture, osteopathy, chiropractic and herbal medicine which could cause damage in the wrong hands. What worried them most was the possibility that a vital medical diagnosis and treatment could be missed if patients chose to see only a CAM practitioner, who might not have the training to recognise the kind of 'red light' symptoms that should be taken to a doctor.
The Committee also found that research into whether the therapies worked is almost non-existent. Training is often inadequate. And too many therapies are unregulated in any way, leaving the public exposed to charlatans and unqualified practitioners.
Complementary and alternative therapies were divided into three groups:
Group One: This was the 'big five' - acupuncture , chiropractic, osteopathy, herbal medicine and , homeopathy which had the best professional organisations and training standards and the most convincing supporting evidence. Chiropractic and osteopathy are now statutorily regulated, which means it is illegal for anyone to practise without being registered with the professional body. Herbal medicine is well on the way, while acupuncturists and homeopaths are seeking common ground between medically qualified and non-medical practitioners.
Group Two: This included those therapies that — although supporting evidence was lacking - were considered harmless enough to complement conventional medicine. Among these are the Alexander technique, aromatherapy, Bach flower remedies, massage therapy hypnotherapy, meditation, reflexology, shiatsu, healing, nutritional medicine and yoga.
The Select Committee felt that voluntary self-regulation under one professional body for each therapy in Group Two should be sufficient, although it could not prevent somebody practising as an 'aromatherapist', for example. Each body would:
- maintain a register of individual members or member organisations
- set educational standards and accredit training establishments
- provide codes of conduct, ethics and practice
- organise a complaints mechanism and disciplinary procedure accessible to the public
- require members to take out adequate professional indemnity insurance.
Group Three: Into this category, which proved the most controversial, went those therapies the Committee considered scientifically unproven and unregulated: ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine (with the exception of acupuncture), naturopathy, crystal therapy, iridology (diagnosis of disease by examining the iris of the eyes) and kinesiology. The resulting debates about who was included here look set to run and run.
» safety first
(July 2002)
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