Questions and answers on the legal aspects of complementary therapies

This paper discusses certain concerns which have worried United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting (UKCC) practitioners who have developed skills in complementary therapies. Some of the legal issues which are discussed are: the right of the employer to refuse to allow a practitioner to use his or her complementary therapy skills in the course of employment; the legal situation relating to the mentally incapacitated adult and the lack of consent to the use of complementary therapies; and the determination of competence for the practitioner. A strategy for UKCC practitioners is suggested.