[Present situation and prospects of acupuncture and moxibustion in United Kingdom].

The present paper reviews the development courses of acupuncture and moxibustion and gives an introduction to the present situation, education and legislation of acupuncture and moxibustion in United Kingdom. Acupuncture and moxibustion have been developed in United Kingdom since 1960s, the London College of TCM was established by Beijing University of Chinese Medicine join forced with Acu-medic Foundation in 1993, and so far, acupuncture has been taught as an undergraduate program in four United Kingdom universities. Since 2002, the British government and Ministry of Health have begun on the legislation of Chinese Medicine and acupuncture and moxibustion, the lawmaking group of Ministry of Health in British submitted a bill about the legislation of acupuncture and herbal medicine as well as Chinese Medicine to the British government in 2008. Clinical levels of acupuncture workers are quite different and the therapy of acupuncture and moxibustion for nearly 20 diseases displays certain effect. The government or one's own can pay the expenses for acupuncture and moxibustion treatment.