英国政府认同中医和准备立法：打着英国旗子吃中国饭。

直言了，2007·08·08。

英国是近代现代的西医思想的发源地之一，是老牌子西医了，且是最顽固的抵制中医的地方，是西方世界里给中医药找碴最厉害的国家。可是呢，许多年来，越来越多医学科研证明了中医效力；更重要的呢，越来越多的英国人使用中医等传统医学，譬如，老英《地平线》杂志报道，到2004年，英国大约有 1500名在专业机构注册的中草药专业机构或人员、1000个独立经营；英国五分之一的人口经常使用中医药或其他传统医学做医疗保健，每年在中医等传统医疗方面的消费开支达1.3亿英镑，----使用中医做保健医疗，已经成为英国公共利益和社会需求的一部分。

基于足够数量质量的临床试验及科研分析，看到本国和世界范围内对中医需求越来越大的状况，英国学界一些人强烈提议英国政府认同中医药和为中医药业务立法。经过辩论，英国政府终于接受提议，认同中医药、并专设联合工作组为中医药立法做准备工作、大概在2008年09月完成。后面是公告原文，您可看看。

有趣儿的是，老英立法工作试图把中医针灸等“西医化”，就是说呢，要在西医框架之内搞“西医针灸”，他们还给了专用术语“Western Medical Acupuncture”（西医针灸），哈哈哈！如何理解呢？政府公告没有详细解释，但结合其简单说明和学界建议，可以看到这么个图景：

认同接纳中医本来就够震撼英国的西医思想了，一下子让中医全都独立操作起来，那就可能是颠覆英国的西医了，困难太大太大。想想看：数百年前，英国在亚洲和中国建立殖民地，就认为中国人是“烟枪”、“鸦片鬼”和“东亚病夫”，是充满了野蛮巫术的地方。那种思想延续了很长时间，直到现代当代还有残余。正因为如此历史文化认识，李约瑟讨论中国科技历史，尽管有许多错误，但毕竟认同了不少中国科技和说明中国是有科学的，那就给英国的中国认识造成了震动性影响，也使李约瑟成了著名学者。赫赫，在那种历史认识的条件下，老英咋可能一下子全都接受“烟枪”、“鸦片鬼”和“东亚病夫”的医学呢？所以说呢，接纳认同中医，对英国医学界当然是个震撼甚至是个颠覆性的事情。

无奈，中医全球普及是不可阻挡的趋势，21世纪到来又是新一轮中医普及高潮的前夜，按照老英自己现在的话说呢，中医药是个“big business（大生意）”、而不再是巫术了。为了满足本国民众需要，也为了英国能在全球普及中医药的市场中占有一席之地和使自己较快掌握中医市场发展主动权，英国政府就想了个法子克服困难，譬如，在英国现有医疗保健系统下搞中医针灸等等，让西医“吃掉”中医、或把中医改造为西医。照中国流行话说呢，就是把“体制外”的东西放在“体制内”发展，可能更有力和更容易控制一些。当然啦，您要说英国绅士味道太浓和太要面子，是打着英国旗子吃中国饭，哈哈！那也未尝不可。

顺便说说：有些反中医的人说，给中医立法不意味着认同接纳。哈哈！立法搞业务标准和行为规范的前提就是认同接纳，否则呢，嘿嘿，根本就用不着立法搞标准和规范。譬如，偷窃行为是不被认同接纳的，所以，就不搞立法规定偷窃的业务标准和行为规范，----哪个国家不认同不接纳偷窃，却还立法规定偷窃的业务标准和如何偷窃的行为规范？哈哈哈！说反中医的人是愚昧无知，一点不错。

附：英国政府关于为中医等传统医学做立法工作的公告：
Statutory regulation of herbal medicine acupuncture and traditional chinese medicine practitioners
连接： http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Policyandguidance/Humanresourcesandtraining/Browsable/DH_5835963

Audiences: Chief xxxxutives and HR Directors

10 High-Impact Changes:
No. 2 - Effective recruitment, good induction and supportive management.
No. 7 - Appraisal policy development and implementation.
No. 9 - Championing good people management practices.
No. 10 - Effective training and development.

Summary:

The Government is committed to the statutory regulation of herbal medicine, acupuncture and traditional chinese medicine practitioners. We are in the process of setting up a Joint Working Group. We hope to have the Working Group set up and the first meeting arranged around June 2006 and to move gradually towards statutory regulation, probably in 2008/9.

Background:

In 2001 the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee recommended that acupuncture and herbal medicine practitioners be subject to statutory regulation in the public interest. The Government accepted the recommendations in principle.

Two working groups - chaired by Lord Chan and Mike Pittilo (a prominent academic) - made recommendations for regulation in 2003.

In 2004 a consultation document was issued proposing a regulatory framework involving a single Council to regulate acupuncturists and herbal medicine practitioners (these are both umbrella terms for a range of quite disparate groups ranging from those deeply rooted in ancient Chinese and Indian practices - traditional acupuncture, traditional Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic medicine - to modern use of traditional techniques within the overall framework of Western medical practice - e.g. Western Medical Acupuncture).

Earlier this year we published a summary of the response to consultation. Decisions were taken on specific aspects of the proposals where either there was continuing controversy (whether or not to have a single Council) or where the initial proposals were no longer suitable (we have changed our position in relation to the regulation of those who are already registered with another healthcare regulator e.g. doctors also practising acupuncture).

Specifically the following were approved:

-statutory regulation with protection of title;
-common system across the UK;
-key functions of regulator to include keeping a register, determining standards of entry, advising about standards of conduct proceedings;
-regulator to have primary duty to protect the public;
-other duties to include working in partnership with other key groups; consultation; taking proper account of traditional basis for practice; public education;
-proposals for admission to the Register, including transitional arrangements and assessment of overseas qualified practitioners;
-development of standards of proficiency and code of conduct for practitioners;
-regulator to regulate continuing professional development;
-proposals for management of conduct/fitness to practice tribunals and appeal mechanisms;
-early establishment of xxxxal Working Group to prepare for regulation.