Audiences:
Chief Executives and HR Directors
10 High-Impact Changes:
No. 2 - Effective recruitment, good induction and supportive management
No. 7 - Appraisal policy development and implementation
No. 9 - Championing good people management practices
No. 10 - Effective training and development
Summary
The Government is committed to the statutory regulation of herbal medicine, acupuncture and traditional chinese medicine practitioners. We are in the process of setting up a Joint Working Group. We hope to have the Working Group set up and the first meeting arranged around June 2006 and to move gradually towards statutory regulation, probably in 2008/9.
Background
In 2001 the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee recommended that acupuncture and herbal medicine practitioners be subject to statutory regulation in the public interest. The Government accepted the recommendations in principle
Two working groups - chaired by Lord Chan and Mike Pittilo (a prominent academic) - made recommendations for regulation in 2003
In 2004 a consultation document was issued proposing a regulatory framework involving a single Council to regulate acupuncturists and herbal medicine practitioners (these are both umbrella terms for a range of quite disparate groups ranging from those deeply rooted in ancient Chinese and Indian practices - traditional acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine - to modern use of traditional techniques within the overall framework of Western medical practice - e.g. Western Medical Acupuncture)
Earlier this year we published a summary of the response to consultation. Decisions were taken on specific aspects of the proposals where either there was continuing controversy (whether or not to have a single Council) or where the initial proposals were no longer suitable (we have changed our position in relation to the regulation of those who are already registered with another healthcare regulator e.g. doctors also practising acupuncture)
Specifically the following were approved
- statutory regulation with protection of title;
- common system across the UK;
- key functions of regulator to include keeping a register, determining standards of entry, advising about standards of conduct proceedings;
- regulator to have primary duty to protect the public;
- other duties to include working in partnership with other key groups; consultation; taking proper account of traditional basis for practice; public education;
- proposals for admission to the Register, including transitional arrangements and assessment of overseas qualified practitioners;
- development of standards of proficiency and code of conduct for practitioners;
- regulator to regulate continuing professional development;
- proposals for management of conduct/fitness to practice tribunals and appeal mechanisms;
- early establishment of formal Working Group to prepare for regulation.
