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| NHS dips toe into the Orient
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Chinese medical experts tell British
doctors how to slice NHS medicine bill
EAST is east and west is west, but will the two ever meet in medicine?
The answer coming from the Chinese Medical Council (CMC) –
which met to discuss the prospect of integrating 5,000 year-old
eastern practices into the NHS – is a resounding yes: it’s
time to start taking Chinese medicine seriously.
Speaking at last Saturday’s conference – organised my
Professor Man Fong Mei, chief executive of the influential Acumedic
centre in Camden High Street and chair of the CMC – health
experts agreed that Chinese medicine could save the NHS millions
of pounds a year by cutting the drugs bill.
Chinese medicine, which includes acupuncture and herbal remedies,
treats the cause of illness while western medicine tends to treat
the symptoms. By trying to prevent illness rather than alleviate
it, eastern techniques are more likely to stop sickness re-occurring.
It is thought Chinese medicine, used as a complimentary therapy,
can cure some chronic disease, acute muscular pain and palliative
disease more effectively than western medicine.
But despite being popular with the public, large sections of the
medical profession remain sceptical of herbal remedies.
British doctors at the conference said they feared some eastern
remedies were contaminated with toxic herbs and dangerous levels
of metal. They say because of the nature of the medicines –
sometimes containing 20 ingredients in each remedy – doctors
do not know exactly what they are dealing with and would not be
able to understand patients’ symptoms properly.
Some GPs say they cannot recommend Chinese medicine because the
shops selling the goods are unregistered and unreliable. They want
all Chinese medicine regulated properly by EU standards before they
are integrated into the NHS.
But leading Chinese health journalist Philip Xie said the European
regulators did not understand Chinese medicine and would do a bad
job in regulating it.
He said: “Chinese people feel annoyed that westerners are sceptical
of eastern practices. Why should they regulate something they don’t
understand?
“We don’t want the regulation to be carried out by people
who don’t understand the system. There is a clash of cultures
– one side will have to give way.” He added: “Regulating
Chinese herbal medicine is a huge and almost impossible task because
of the number of ingredients that go into each remedy. I’m
sure the CMC cannot afford to regulate the drugs so it will have
to be done in Europe.”
Professor ‘Benny’ Mei, who also runs post-graduate courses
in Chinese medicine at Hampstead’s Royal Free Hospital, echoed
Xie’s frustration. He said: “We have 5,000 years of experience,
but Chinese and herbal medicine must cross a big hurdle when it
comes to safety. We want a good code of practice and research. But
no medicine is absolutely safe and Chinese people are frustrated
and feel Europeans are trying to stifle Chinese medicine through
regulation. We accept western medicine in the east, why should Chinese
herbal medicine not be given a proper place here?”
Mike O’ Farrell, chairman of the British Acupuncture Association,
said the main problem was ignorance.
He said: “Acupuncture has become accepted by doctors. But there
is still a suspicion about the course of the herbs. This is not
the time to challenge the EU about regulations. It is time to go
on a charm offensive.”
Professor Mei added: “The NHS and the CMC can work together.
The only way to move forward is if western safety standards are
kept but the Chinese expertise and philosophy must be maintained.”
The Foster Review, set up in June 2005, is currently investigating
the possibility of integrating Chinese medicine into the NHS. Its
findings are due to be released in November.
Pictured: Delegates to the conference, which was held at Guy’s
Hospital in London Bridge. |
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