ABSTRACT
Regulation has become an important topic in health care in the UK at a time when there is increasing government concern to protect the public, especially as ever more health scandals come to light in medicine and related fields. There is also a particular need to examine regulatory mechanisms in complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), as rapidly growing numbers of people are using such therapies. In order better to understand the issues associated with the regulation of CAM, the contribution focuses on the case of acupuncture, where stronger forms of regulation are being sought. To understand the position of acupuncture in Britain in terms of regulation, some knowledge of its history is helpful. The marginalisation of acupuncture and other CAM therapies increased in regulatory terms with the passing of the 1911 National Health Insurance Act and the 1946 National Health Service Act.
