PFIH’s consultation “Exploring a Federal Approach to Voluntary Self Regulation of Complementary Healthcare” closed on 28 July, and the results were announced on 27 September. Full details are available through this link to the PFIH website, under ‘Results of the Consultation’:http://www.fih.org.uk/About+Us/Regulation/FederalApproach.htm
The headline results are:
438 responses were received.
68% agreed with the principle of establishing a federal regulatory body.
71% agreed with the criteria for professions to be regulated by the federal council.
68% agreed with the proposed fundamental functions and duties of the council.
Many thanks again to everyone who responded to the consultation. Pro-rata to its membership, Bowen generated the largest number of responses for any therapy. The Bowen Forum’s own response to the consultation is available on the website.
PFIH commissioned a feasibility study on a proposed federal regulatory body at the same time as the consultation, and the study was published on 27 September. The group came up with ten recommendations, set out in detail at the end of their report, which is available through this link, under ‘Feasibility Recommendations’: http://www.fih.org.uk/About+Us/Regulation/FederalApproach.htm
In summary, the group believes that a working party should be set up to explore two possible models for a federal body. Therapies which meet certain criteria, or which are working to meet those criteria will be invited to nominate one member to serve on the working party. The working party will be meeting between January and September 2007, and by the end of March 2007 it is intended that ball-park figures for the costs of the two models should be available. By the end of September 2007, it is intended that the group will have made proposals on the way forward, and that it will have completed a fuller cost and benefit analysis.
Based on the results of the consultation, and the feasibility report, PFIH are recommending that a working group is set up to consider in detail two different approaches to a federal structure for voluntary self-regulation. PFIH will now be inviting the various therapy forums to apply to participate in the working group.
The AGM took place on Saturday 30 September 2006, and was preceded by a seminar at which the results of the consultation were presented by Jean Nestor PFIH. Minutes from the seminar and the AGM are being posted on the website.
In September, we sent out an electronic survey to members on e-mail, asking three short questions to do with the consultation and regulation. We received 365 responses, and the results were:
1. Did you respond to the consultation?
Yes - 27%
No - 73%
2. If not, why not?
I couldn’t download it - 20%
I didn’t understand it - 7%
I didn’t have time - 41%
I wasn’t interested - 3%
Other (most said that they didn’t know about it) - 29%
3. General views on regulation
I think Bowen should join a federal body - 51%
I think Bowen should set up its own regulatory body - 40%
I don’t think that therapies should be regulated - 3%
Other (mostly undecided) - 6%
As an incentive for Bowen therapists to respond to the PFIH consultation, we arranged a raffle for respondees, with two prizes of two free Bowen CPD days. Congratulations to Diane Pannell and Alwyn Wood, whose names were drawn at the AGM.
With things moving forward so quickly now, we need to be in regular contact with as many Bowen therapists as possible, and so we will be inviting all members of associations to join the Forum’s electronic mailing list. Therapists not on e-mail can elect for a hard copy mailing. It is likely that we will be conducting several more electronic surveys over the next year or so, since this is the cheapest and easiest way to find out what people think. Regulation will affect everybody, so please take time to read and respond to these mailings.