Herbal Cures & The Blairs

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Herbal Cures to Get NHS Stamp of Approval

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Tony Blair's Government is poised to give official backing for the first

time to alternative herbal remedies and some New Age therapies.

The Prime Minister's wife Cherie is among the thousands of people who are

turning to alternative remedies to get through the stresses of everyday life.

The Blairs, who are on holiday in Egypt, experienced a relaxing " mud and

peace " therapy on their summer break in Mexico. Mrs Blair has been seen

wearing a New Age acupuncture pin in her ear, and there has been

speculation she uses Ayurveda, an ancient Hindu-based health therapy that

employs herbal remedies, massage, strict diets and spiritualism.

Ministers have now ordered the NHS to take old herbal remedies and New Age

therapies more seriously in the future. As a first step, the Government is

planning to bring herbal remedies under statutory control. Ministers are

also looking at statutory regulations for acupuncture.

The Government's watchdog on the cost-effectiveness of medicines on the

NHS, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence, is also due to report

in the new year on the use in pain relief of other alternative practices

such as yoga and aromatherapy. Alan Milburn, the Health Secretary, has

appointed an independent working group under Professor Pittilo, pro

vice chancellor of academic quality at the University of Hertfordshire, to

reach agreement with the professions on the regulatory framework for herbal

medicine.

GPs can prescribe herbal remedies at the moment but in practice few do

because they are legally responsible for the treatment, which could be

risky in the wrong hands.

Officials said GPs could be, for the first time, paid a fee to refer

patients to alternative therapists, who could be allowed to prescribe

herbal remedies on the NHS.

A Whitehall source said: " Two-thirds of GPs do not provide access to

alternative therapies and those who do expect the patients to pay for it

themselves. After the announcement that the NHS should co- operate more

with the private sector, we think it is time to give serious consideration

to the options that various alternative therapies can offer. "

Popular herbal remedies include ginseng; saw palmetto, used to ease

prostate problems; echinacea, which helps to boost resistance to illnesses;

valerian for sleep; and garlic. A dried fruit extract has also been claimed

to have powers to reduce pre-menstrual tension with fewer side effects than

conventional drugs.

Herbal medicine experts are cautious about the move, however. " There are

only 300 herbalists in the country. We have to be careful this does not

restrict the availability of herbal medicines, " said a spokesman for the

British Herbal Medicine Association. Many remedies are cheaper over the

counter than by prescription, the charge for which is expected to rise in

April.