RCHM logo Collection of dried herbs
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Welcome to the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine

The Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine was set up in 1987 to regulate the practice of Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) in the UK.  We now represent over 450 fully qualified practitioners of Chinese herbal medicine.

The Register is a member of the European Herbal & Traditional Medicine Practitioners Association (EHTPA), an umbrella organisation that is working towards statutory regulation for herbal medicine in Britain.

More about why we are campaigning to achieve statutory regulation

At present, anyone can call themselves a Chinese medicine practitioner and treat the public. They do not have to be qualified or competent and yet they have access to powerful herbal medicines.

In February 2010, the Old Bailey heard how a civil servant suffered cancer and kidney damage after taking a banned medicine sold by a Chinese medicine shop. The regulation of Chinese medicine practitioners would protect the public from such cases of malpractice.

Despite widespread support for regulation, the last Government failed to act. Regulation would ensure that all practitioners are trained to national standards and have professional insurance.

From April 2011, a new EU law will mean that even fully qualified Chinese medicine practitioners will lose access to the majority of the herbs and medicines on which they rely. Many herbs and medicines will only be available to medical professionals who are regulated by the Government, such as GPs. Many practitioners will go out of business, and their patients will not be able to receive the treatment that they need. Consumers who have safely accessed herbal medicines for years will be forced to buy from unsafe internet sites or from bogus back-street practitioners.

The new government can prevent this by granting statutory regulation to Chinese medicine practitioners.

 
Latest News on our campaign

Following the election we wait to hear from the incoming administration about the progress of our statutory regulation. We are hopeful for an early steer on this as, before the election, both the Conservative and the Liberal Democrat shadow health ministers were most supportive of our move to statutory regulation.

We understand that it will take a few weeks for them to get their feet under the Ministerial table after which we expect to have some positive news.

Thank you to all of you who signed our e-petition at the Number 10 website calling for the regulation of Chinese herbal medicine. This petition is now closed.

With a new Government in place, a review is taking place of e-petitions. E-petitions which were live at the time of the election announcement on 6th April when the
e-petitions system was suspended, which includes the RCHM's petition, will not be re-opened, but all e-petitions that had exceeded the 500 signature threshold as of 6th April 2010 will receive a response.

The RCHM's petition had received a total of 1,496 as of 6th April and so will be responded to.

The RCHM may resubmit our petition, if necessary, when the e-petitions system when it is launched later this year.

In the mean time, please continue to support our campaign to help save herbs and the practice of herbal medicine in the UK. You can help by becoming a Fan of the Facebook campaign page and asking your friends and family to do the same.

Thank you.