The Natural Centre welcomes the recent government announcement of its intention to regulate herbal practice through the Health Professions Council.

This move will give herbalists the status they need to continue to have access to a comprehensive range of plants for medicinal purposes, under EU law.

We hope that this move will set a precedent for other countries, both within and outside Europe, to follow the move to recognise and respect alternative methods of health care and to facilitate the safe and accountable provision of such services to a public who clearly want to be given the choice.

We realise that this move will not find favour with the self appointed science-police in their misguided attempts to limit people’s freedom by forcing everyone to buy into the rigid paradigm and limited services available through conventional health care models, however we welcome any debate or forum, fairly and impartially conducted, where differing points of view may be aired without fear of censure or recrimination.

Although we are fully aware that the decision to regulate has been taken with public safety in mind, we nonetheless celebrate that the principle of freedom of choice in health has finally been established by this development.