Clinically Applied Hijama Therapy in the United Kingdom: The Need for Statutory Regulations

Abstract

This review considers the history of regulation of clinical disciplines and recent statutory approaches to complementary therapies such as osteopathy and chiropractic. It considers the role of professional organisations in promoting the need for regulation and the failure of those interested in hijama to achieve a consensus as to how best to regulate the profession and ensure that high standards are achieved and maintained. The issue of practitioner competence had been a significant factor in the regulation of both chiropractors and osteopaths. Hijama and acupuncture share a number of features and the treatment of acupuncture as a trade provides some pointers as to ways in which hijama may come to be regulated in the short term. Local council monitoring, visits by “enforcers” as well as reviews of advertisements by the Advertising Standards Authority are almost inevitable and will be precipitated by negligent practitioners. A failure by hijama practitioners to put their own house in order may lead to adverse legislation, especially if there are any serious untoward incidents. As a united approach is unlikely to materialise, the Australian negative licensing model is probably the best that can be hoped for with practitioners who contravene a general code of conduct based in statute losing the right to continue in practice.