Public Safety Best Served by Statutory Regulation of Complementary Medicine

LONDON, April 1, 2010 - An unexpected Government reversal of plans for Statutory Regulation of
complementary medicine, announced today by Andy Burnham, Health Secretary, is
strongly criticised by The Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (UK).
"Ten years ago the House of Lords Select Committee report on Complementary
and alternative Medicine suggested statutory regulation for herbal medicine
and acupuncture and since then the Government has worked to introduce such
regulation. The ATCM has been actively involved in contributing to the
Department of Health's work preparing for statutory regulation of our
profession," says Dr. Huijun Shen, President of the ATCM.

Voluntary Body with No Statutory Power

"Now the Government has failed to deliver its promise and has changed its
mind from the plan to have herbal medicines, traditional Chinese medicine and
acupuncture regulated by the Health Professions Council. Instead it plans to
have complementary medicine practitioners registered with a voluntary body
with no statutory power - the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council.

"We demand an explanation from the Government on why it has changed its
mind as the CNHC is only a voluntary body with no statutory power. From the
short statement issued by the Health Secretary Andy Burnham today we doubt
whether the Government still wants to introduce statutory regulation.

We believe that statutory regulation is the best way to safeguard the
public. A legal case at the Old Bailey in February 2010, in which a patient
suffered kidney failure and urinary cancer after taking a banned toxic herbal
product for 5 years from a bogus practitioner, is due to lack of statutory
regulation for our profession. It highlights the necessity and the urgency
for the government to introduce statutory regulation. The title of TCM
practitioner, as well as herbal medicine practitioner and acupuncturist, must
be statutorily protected in order to stop any bogus people from using these
titles - a real public danger.

The reports of three Department of Health Working Groups, plus the
responses to the two public consultations have shown overwhelming support for
statutory regulation essential to safeguard the public. The Department of
Health made a proposal for our professions to be regulated by the Health
Professions Council (HPC) in 2005 and all the work has been directed towards
this.

"In particular, we are deeply worried about the apparent separation of
regulating herbal medicine and acupuncture, which is indicated in Mr Andy
Burnham statement as two different steps. All our members are qualified
traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) practitioners who practise Chinese herbal
medicine and acupuncture side by side as two major components of TCM. The
Government has promised to regulate TCM as a whole since the first round of
public consultation in 2004. We do not want to see TCM to be mutilated
again," commented Dr. Shen.

Notes to Editors

The Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (UK)
represents over 700 trained practitioners of acupuncture and traditional
Chinese medicine working throughout the UK, 80% of who are of Chinese origin.
Formed in 1994, the ATCM is the largest self-regulatory body for the
practice of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) including acupuncture. Since
2002, the ATCM has been actively involved in, and remains committed to, the
Department of Health move towards statutory regulation of the sector.

All full members of ATCM hold a university, college or other
recognised professional qualification at or above BSc level. The website
www.atcm.co.uk lists all members and a local practitioner can be found
via the website's "Find A Registered Practitioner" search.

Website www.atcm.co.uk

The Association of Traditional Chinese Medicine (UK), ATCM, 5A Grosvenor House, 1 High Street, Edgware, London HA8 7TA, Tel/Fax: +44(0)20-8951-3030 Email: info at atcm.co.uk; Dr. Huijun Shen is available for comment on +44(0)7904-150127, e-mail: info at atcm.co.uk , ATCM Tel/Fax: +44(0)20-8951-3030; Issued on behalf of the ATCM by Phyllis Oberman Consultants, +44(0)203-234-4098, e: po at phyllisoberman.co.uk 1.4.10