VSR for Healers has arrived
July 2011 was an important month for Healing. Voluntary Self Regulation finally became a reality with two regulators opening their registers to healers.
The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) and the General Regulatory Council for Complementary Therapies (GRCCT) both sent out general press releases giving the good news.
Maggie Dunn, chief executive of the CNHC, said: “The recent unbelievable claims made by some Healers and broadcast on Newsnight demonstrate how important it is that Healers are properly registered.
“Healers may be dealing with very vulnerable people and as a member of the public you want to know that the practitioner you are seeing has been properly educated and prepared and is abiding by a professional code of conduct. That is what CNHC registration is trying to emphasise.”
The GRCCT press release states that members of sixty-three different healing organisations have been approved for admission to the National Register under the guidance of the two main professional bodies, UK Healers and the Confederation of Healing Organisations. Other healing organisations are currently being evaluated in the hope that they will reach the requirements for entry.
‘Regulation is now a necessity for all healthcare sectors but effective regulation must be proportionate to risk and not bring unwarranted financial burden to the participant. It should be acknowledged that the vast majority of healers provide their services free of charge and we are working with the healing profession to support their efforts in facilitating cost-effective entry routes for the 8,000 to 10,000 healers in this category,’ - Martin McClinton, Media and Communications Manager GRCCT.
Chair of CHO, Bob Charman, stated: “The CHO welcomes and supports voluntary self regulation and stresses that the choice of regulator is entirely a personal choice by the individual healer. Any healer wishing to know more about their choices should contact the two regulators via their websites. [shown below]
“We provide Continuing Personal and Professional Development courses on a regular basis to help further high professional standards in healing through education. All CHO educational events are partially funded so they are available to all healers to help in their development.”
CNHC: www.cnhc.org.uk
GRCCT: www.grcct.org
