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Under
construction, so please return for more info.
This
Web Site serves several purposes.
1.
To inform the UK public on the impending loss of their freedom to
select a herbalist of their choice because of the proposals
on herbalists regulation.
2.
To try and make contact with hundreds of herbalists in the UK that
we know are not represented by the associations in the steering
group on Statutory regulation under the Department of Health. Please,
if you know someone who helps people using herbs let them know about
us.
3.
To try and make the public aware that laws are now being determined
by organisations with vested interests, not by Parliament after
considered debate.
4.
To expose the dirty tricks used by the
pro registration lobby.
What
is this about?
There
are proposals that all Herbalists are regulated by their respective
organisations and that only those so registered will be able to
call themselves a "Medical Herbalist and similar titles. Full
document here. The pro regulation organisations have asked to
be regulated, but only government can implement statutory regulation.
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The
latest on this is that some pro lobby web sites are claiming
that the Minister announced Statutory Regulation. This is
a LIE to fool their supporters. You will see that statement
on the web site of The Foundation for Integrative Medicine
- the charity that has announced its closure following an
investigation by the Charity Commission, and whom the driving
forces behind Statutory regulation strongly supported.
Just
prior to Parliament being dissolved, the Health Minister made
a statement that "he was minded" to have herbalists
registered, but without full statutory regulation. The announcement
does not mean anything will go ahead and it gives more time
for action against the proposals. The big problem is that
the Civil Servants who advise the Minister have been led by
their noses by the small number of activists within the pro
lobby. The primary argument used for regulation is that it
will protect the public. IT WILL NOT and there is absolutely
no statistical data to support that argument. Even the MHRA
cannot produce more than a handful of cases over the last
20 years of harm caused by unregistered herbalists. Instead,
what he have, is politicians being manipulated by media hysteria
and vested trade interests. Even letters to members of Parliament
come back with the same fallacious statements of "protecting
the public".
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What
is wrong with that?
1. In the UK we have a unique historical position in that anyone
with the appropriate knowledge can practise as a herbalist. This
is a unique historical privilege granted by Henry the 8th under
an act that has never been repealed. Copy
here. This historical right has served the UK public well for
hundreds of years via our mode of herbal medicine. The problem is
that the Statutory regulation committee are trying to throw all
modes of traditional medicine into the same basket. For example,
most of the cases of harm advanced by the MHRA as evidence for the
need for regulation, are mainly because of imported remedies not
used by herbalists trained in the UK traditional styles.
2.
We do not believe that such regulation will give the public any
more protection than existing laws of the land provide, but it will
significantly impact on your freedom of choice. Document
here.
Perhaps
time for a change?
The Henry the 8th legislation has stood the test of time and why
change it without good reason?
Those
of us who refuse to join the so called "professional"
associations, will be banned from using names such as "Medical
Herbalist". In addition, it will become far more difficult
to obtain professional indemnity insurance. This will over time
lead to our freedom of choice on healthcare being significantly
diminished.
If
there were sound grounds for changing the law then most independent
herbalists would not object. However, we feel those grounds are
simply not there and the proposals are a political gimmick and a
quest for power by certain people at the top of the trade organisations.
For
more detailed information please click
here or go to the articles menu above.
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