Welcome to the Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC)

The CNHC was established in April 2008. It heralds a completely new approach to the voluntary regulation of complementary healthcare in the UK. It builds on the excellent work already undertaken by many of the professional bodies within complementary and natural heathcare. Upholding the highest professional standards, the creation of the CNHC will provide a boost to consumer confidence and public trust which will in turn benefit all practitioners. Significantly, the roles of the professional associations and the regulatory body are now separated in order to give increased clarity of function.

The key function of the voluntary regulator (CNHC) is to enhance public protection. This will be achieved by driving up standards set by the professions themselves; ensuring access to continuing professional development for all practitioners; and providing a route for enquiries about complementary healthcare practitioners, and, if necessary, for making a complaint about a practitioner.

The key function of the professional associations will be to continue to provide support for the practitioners themselves. This will be achieved variously in the form of standard setting, provision of courses, CPD and a range of other support. It is expected that practitioners will wish to be registered with the CNHC and also continue to benefit from membership of a professional association.

It is hoped that this separation of regulatory and support function will, over time, make the position clearer for the public who use complementary and natural healthcare; for those who 'commission' the services of complementary practitioners; and for the practitioners themselves.

We anticipate that the mark 'Registered with the CNHC' will swiftly be recognised as the hallmark of quality for the sector. We believe that the public, as well as the professionals themselves, will come to see that registration with the CNHC offers the 'gold standard' of regulation.

We look forward to engaging in further debate with all those who access this site - professional and public. We are confident that we are moving forward positively into an exciting new future and we hope you will travel with us.

Maggie Dunn Maggy Wallace
CoChairs CNHC