If Britain is really a multicultural society ...?

Question

then why are alternative health care systems not more integrated in the NHS?

Acupuncture on the NHS is only available of someone who is qualified as a GP. GP's learn acupuncture as an extra but a Middlesex university student with a 4 year degree in traditional chinese medicine and a stint of training in mainland china hospitals(where western and chinese medicine are practised side by side) is not allowed to practice acupuncture on the NHS. Their degree course includes western anatomy and biochemistry btw. London has it's own Ayurvedic hospital and Ayurvedic medicine has a history longer than chinese medicine. it is not accepted yet, i still have to meet my first obese peron from India!
Physiotherapy and osteopathy have humongous waiting lists.
The list goes on.
Back to to the original question ...

http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/links/doi/10.1111/j.1471-0528.2002.01212.x/abs/

Results Acupuncture treatment during labour significantly reduced the need of epidural analgesia (12%vs 22%, relative risk [RR] 0.52, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.30 to 0.92). Parturients who received acupuncture assessed a significantly better degree of relaxation compared with the control group (mean difference −0.93, 95% CI −1.66 to −0.20). No negative effects of acupuncture given during labour were found in relation to delivery outcome.

From the horses mouth :-)http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1119421Malaysia
Malaysia has recently adopted a coordinated approach to integration, based on self regulation by complementary professions. Malaysia's health minister, Honorable Dato' Chua Jui Meng, announced on 13 November 2000 the establishment ...

and please read the question properly ... multicultural and multiracial is NOT the same in this context. Skin colour has nothing to do with it.

CLINICAL TRIAL OF ELECTRICAL ACUPUNCTURE ON HEMIPLEGIC STROKE PATIENTS1.

Research Articles

American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. 78(2):117-122, March/April 1999.
.....
Abstract:
To assess the efficacy of electrical acupuncture in the rehabilitation of patients with hemiplegia in stroke, we randomized 128 patients within 2 wk of stroke onset to receive either comprehensive rehabilitation plus electrical acupuncture (n = 59) or comprehensive rehabilitation only (n = 59). Electrical acupuncture was administered .... ...We suggest that electrical acupuncture through adhesive surface electrodes in conjunction with current optimal rehabilitation programs is a convenient and effective therapy for stroke patients.
http://www.amjphysmedrehab.com/pt/re/ajpmr/abstract.00002060-199903000-00006.htm;jsessionid=GFRPh2JG7hDZphncwl25Kw2BzL84HQLr0qgGYk3Cxp4JsdZ9fwQt!-818462210!-949856145!8091!-1

Dear Paul,
IF IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION ... IT'S GOOD ENOUGH FOR ME :-))

Ps. reported for that misplaced racist comment BTW :-))

http://www.who.int/topics/acupuncture/en/

25% of modern medicines are made from plants first used traditionally.
TM can also have impact on infectious diseases. For example, the Chinese herbal remedy Artemisia annua, used in China for almost 2000 years has been found to be effective against resistant malaria and could create a breakthrough in preventing almost one million deaths annually, most of them children, from severe malaria.
In South Africa, the Medical Research Council is conducting studies on the efficacy of the plant Sutherlandia Microphylla in treating AIDS patients. Traditionally used as a tonic, this plant may increase energy, appetite and body mass in people living with HIV.
http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs134/en/

Answer 1

In the US it is the same but with insurance companies. They will pay if you go to a doctor who took 100 hours of acupuncture classes but not if you go to someone who has a degree from an acupuncture school(one in Massachusetts takes 6 years to get). Multiculturalism is all crap anyways. Come to my city and see how "great" it supposedly is

Answer 2

The world is a huge place and the NHS has limited funds - would you say acupuncture would serve us better than for example physiotherapy or respirator units? With the best will in the world the NHS could not afford everything even if we all payed 75% tax to help fund it. Almost every culture has effective methods of traditional medicine and just because I cannot get every eastern medical treatment does not mean Britain is not a multicultural society.

Answer 3

Yes Britain is a multicultural society. Alternative health care systems are unproven and Chinese medicine is just a means of taking money from the stupid. If Chinese medicine is so good then why do you think that Chinese hospitals actually practise western medicine? Out of necessity: there is no need for the reverse. I have no problem with people who are prepared to integrate into our society. But a rant from a person of different ethic origin taking a degree that is somewhat less rigorous than a conventional medicine degree (I couldn't see Oxford or Cambridge touching that subject) makes me angry.
My original post has been modified in order to avoid any accusation of racism.

Answer 4

Nah... Malaysia is a multiracial country

Answer 5

Because medical procedures need proof in blind testing and proof doesn't belong to one culture.