It is our belief that statutory regulation is in the best interest of public health, making it easy for the public and healthcare professionals to identify properly trained and qualified practitioners of acupuncture, guaranteeing high standards of care and safety, and thereby preventing poorly trained practitioners from operating.

We welcome the proposal for a pilot scheme to assess the benefits of complementary and alternative medicine for the treatment of lower back pain and look forward to actively participating in it.  As made evident by the NICE guidelines issued last year, acupuncture has been found to be very effective in treating patients with this condition.

(Mike is available all day tomorrow for any press queries or interviews etc.)