If doctors or nurses were allowed to practise unsupervised on patients — without having passed any examinations to prove their knowledge, skill or safety — there would be a national outcry. But anyone can call themselves an acupuncturist, herbalist or homeopath and do just that.

However, with the publication of two reports last September, the complementary medicine movement is set to move towards being fully regulated by law. This is intended to ensure that all practitioners have passed basic levels of competence; that patients can turn to a statutory system of safeguards should things go wrong; and that patients can know clearly what they are letting themselves in for. Osteopathy and chiropractic have already travelled this route, with the creation of the General Osteopathy Council and the General Chiropractic Council.

Now the Department of Health is examining the reports’ proposals for regulating acupuncturists and herbalists. One strong suggestion is that they be brought under the umbrella of a new organisation, the Complementary and Alternative Medicine Council. The Government will use the ideas as a basis for consultations on new laws in the coming months.

Several high-level organisations have contributed to the reports, including the Prince of Wales’s Foundation for Integrated Health, the British Acupuncture Council, the British Medical Acupuncture Society and the European Herbal Practitioners Association. Not everyone is happy with the proposals — there are rumbles of dissatisfaction among some of the herbalists’ groups, for example.

Nevertheless, it is hoped that the new system could clear up confusion surrounding acupuncturists, homeopaths and herbalists — most importantly: what they do, how they do it and what their qualifications mean.

The word acupuncture, for example, covers a large number of procedures performed by a wide range of people. It is practised by traditional therapists, doctors, nurses and physiotherapists as well as osteopaths, chiropractors and naturopaths. Acupuncture is also an important component of traditional Chinese medicine.

When you visit an acupuncturist, you have no consistent way of knowing what to expect from them. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine use systems based on oriental philosophies that are thousands of years old. Traditional acupuncturists base their approach on oriental principles but also study relevant Western medical sciences. More conventional Western practitioners (many of whom work within the NHS), mostly use a modern interpretation based on anatomy, physiology and pathology. The groups tend to use different diagnostic categories that do not translate well from one school to the other.

Estimates suggest that there are about 7,500 people in the UK who practise acupuncture to some extent and belong to a relevant professional or regulatory body. But there is a growing number or people who practise acupuncture, whether or not it is described as acupuncture, without belonging to any professional or regulatory body. Many are based in the growing number of high street outlets for traditional Chinese medicine and practise acupuncture alongside herbal medicine.

To add to the confused picture, osteopaths and chiropractors may treat patients using “dry needling” and some Ayurvedic practitioners sometimes use a form of acupuncture. Naturopaths use acupuncture, as do chiropodists and podiatrists.

Meanwhile, there are about 1,300 herbal medicine practitioners who are members of voluntary registers in Britain. The report on herbalists — by the Herbal Medicine Regulatory Working Group — says they divide fairly evenly between Western herbal medicine and Chinese herbal medicine. There is also a comparatively small number of Ayurvedic practitioners. The working group wants to see its proposed new regulatory council having the power to advise these diverse groups on what herbal, animal and mineral substances they can use.

Meanwhile, homoeopaths are moving towards regulation. The Society of Homoeopaths wants to see a voluntary system in the UK and is working on this idea with fellow organisations in the Council of Organisations Registering Homoeopaths to create a single register of qualified homoeopaths. This voluntary system may not happen, though. The Herbal Medicines Working group points out that practitioners such as homoeopaths may find themselves coming under the herbalists’ regulations if at any time they make up substances that could be described as herbal remedies.

There are still battles to be fought among complementary therapists about the nature and structure of any new regulatory group or groups. Some will even argue that they don’t need expensive layers of bureaucracy cramping their style. But, from the patients’ point of view, safeguards and clarity are vital. And, with the rapid growth in the popularity of complementary therapies, they are fast becoming overdue.

For further information on complementary therapists, visit Dr Foster

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