SaveOurHerbs

The Campaignfor the Protection of Herbal Medicine

Hello and welcome to our website, which has been developed to endorse the "Support
Herbal Medicine" petition and as a focus for people interested in preserving and protecting the practise of
Traditional Herbal Medicine and use of our herbs in response to the British government's impending
regulatory proposals.

The UK government is of the opinion that statutory regulation of Herbalists will protect the public from
serious harm. However, has statutory regulation of the NHS, Banking and Pension industries protected the
public? No, it most certainly has not! Even now, after so called "improved" guidelines resulting from the
behaviour of Harold Shipman, abuse and cruelty on the part of medical staff is still being reported. It is our
belief that statutory regulation is not effective and results in considerable amounts of time and tax payer's
money being wasted, with no increased guarantee of safety.

To date, Herbal Medicine has one of the most exemplary safety records of any medical discipline. Current
voluntary self regulation has been more than adequate in protecting the public from harm.

If you are someone who cares about freedom of choice, environmental issues, a member of the public who
visits a Herbalist, or self treats with herbs from your garden and surrounding countryside, a practising
Medical Herbalist, or a practitioner who uses herbs alongside another natural medicine, a supplier of herbs or
even someone simply passionate about herbs and the pleasure they give, then you will be interested in our
message.

Herbal Medicine is "Global Medicine" with each country having its own Tradition. Regulations affecting the
UK and Europe often have an influence on the rest of the world. Wherever you live, please link with us and
together let us protect and preserve Herbal Medicine worldwide. We need to keep vigilant regarding
influences from governments, pharma companies and the Codex which can affect herbal medicines and
practitioners.

Accessibility and choice: to ensure herbal medicines remain affordable
and available for the public to use

Preserve our Traditions: to ensure Traditional Herbalists can continue to
practise and teach, offering an alternative philosophy, diversity and choice to
the public

Protect our plants, their environments and our cottage industries

Welcome to our website

DH Statement on Regulation

On 1st April the Rt Hon Andy Burnham Secretary
of State for Health issued the following statement.

"Emerging evidence clearly demonstrates that
the public needs better protection, but in a way
that is measured and does not place
unreasonable extra burdens on practitioners.
I am therefore minded to legislate to ensure that
all practitioners supplying unlicensed herbal
medicines to members of the public in England
must be registered with the Complementary and
Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC).
I believe that the introduction of such a register
will increase public protection, but without the
full trappings of professional recognition which
are applied to practitioners of orthodox
healthcare."

Although no further details are currently available, it
seems this statement is far from the heavy handed
statutory regulation advocated by the EHTPA and
professional associations.

The CNHC was set up to protect the public by
means of regulating practitioners on a voluntary
register, and is therefore not in place to facilitate SR.

We are pleased statutory regulation appears to have
been discarded and unlike the pro lobby, we are not
concerned that the Herbal profession will not have
the trappings of professional recognition applied to
practitioners of orthodox healthcare. We want to
continue to practise our Tradition in the honourable,
naturopathic and wholistic manner we have done for
generations, regardless of what is happening to the
medical profession. People seek out Herbalists
because they provide a different model of healthcare
from orthodox professionals .

However, with such limited information provided by
Mr Burnham, it is difficult to make conclusive
statements. We will be seeking further clarification
from the CNHC and the incoming Secretary of
State for Health and entering into dialogue to ensure
our campaign goals are achieved.

Our campaign continues and will do
so until Herbal Medicine can be
guaranteed to remain available to all.

If you care about Herbal Medicine and want to preserve it for future generations please sign our petition
which will be presented to government as part of our campaign.