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

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 hpc-uk




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: hpc-uk/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