ABSTRACT
In many areas of the world, the CAM sector is growing and becoming increasingly professionalised and integrated within conventional healthcare systems. In the UK, three of the major challenges for integration into the National Health Service (NHS) have been: the failure to create a regulatory framework that adequately encompasses professions with varying degrees of professionalisation and training; the early stage of development of the evidence base partly due to the lack of research investment by the government and professional bodies; and a lack of inter-professional communication and collaboration regarding the implementation of standards and guidelines developed for the sector.
