The Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council (CNHC) was set up on the initiative of the now defunct Prince Charles’ Foundation for Integrated Health with substantial funding from the Department of Health. It has come under intense scrutiny and criticism for being a toothless regulator, while giving the imprimateur of apparent 'official' recognition of a number of different complementary and alternative practices.

Read Andy Lewis' The Quackometer for further details of the history of the CNHC, particularly the one titled Ofquack's Toothless Squawk.

They opened their register on 19 January 2009 and currently cover the following 'disciplines' (as they call them). The disciplines below link to their 'Therapy Descriptors', which describe what the CNHC think each therapy does:

• Alexander Technique Teaching
• Aromatherapy
• Bowen Therapy
• Massage Therapy
• Hypnotherapy
• Naturopathy
• Nutritional Therapy
• Reflexology
• Shiatsu
• Sports & Remedial Therapy
• Yoga Therapy

They expect to provide registration in 2011 to:

• Microsystems Acupuncture
• Reiki
• Cranial Sacral Therapy
• Healing

You can search their register of members on their Search page. Searches can be done on name, town/city, Postcode, registration number and discipline.

CNHC's Code of Conduct, Performance and Ethics For Registrants.

CNHC's Complaints procedure

Advertising

In relation to advertising, the Code states:

15. You must follow CNHC guidelines in relation to advertising your services

Any advertising you undertake in relation to your professional activities must be accurate. Advertisements must not be misleading, false, unfair or exaggerated. You must not claim that your personal skills, equipment or facilities are better than anyone else’s. If you are involved in advertising or promoting any other product or service, you must make sure that you use your knowledge, healthcare skills, qualifications and experience in an accurate and professionally responsible way. You must not make or support unjustifiable statements relating to particular products or services. Any potential financial rewards to you should be made explicit and play no part at all in your advice or recommendations of products and services that you give to patients, clients and users.

In their short life and although they upheld their first swathe of complaints against misleading advertising, the CNHC have come under a lot of criticism for their handling of complaints.

Read Simon Perry's Adventures in Nonsense blog posts for further details.

However, this should not deter you from complaining about misleading claims made by one of their members.