Maggie Dunn said that although the Government-backed register is voluntary, it still has the potential to be a useful way of protecting the public from rogue therapists. She said: "There have been lots of other voluntary registers that have been proven to have teeth. For example, Corgi began as a voluntary scheme, as is the ABTA scheme. Just because the register is not statutory does not mean it isn't worthwhile or useful."

The CNHC register opened in January 2009 to massage therapists and nutritional therapists. Aromatherapy was added in May 2009, while reflexologists will be admitted from August. Ms Dunn also revealed that the CNHC hopes to add reiki and yoga therapy to the list of eligible therapies soon. Currently, there are around 1,000 practitioners registered with the CNHC, which Ms Dunn concedes is "a trickle rather than a flood" because of the verification process that each applicant must go through. She also said that "the register is designed with public safety in mind", which means that less than half of the UK's 150,000 complementary therapists will meet the criteria to be on the register.

However, representatives from the complementary therapy industry are divided on how effective the register will be. Doreen Baker, the chief executive of the Association of Reflexologists (AOR) believes the register is just what the industry needs. She said: "It's very important for the complementary therapy industry to have a viable and sustainable register that offers comfort and assurance to the public." Ms Baker added that members of the register will enjoy a range of benefits, including being recognised by private health insurers.

But Doreen Sawyer, from the UK Reiki Federation, claims that professional councils for complementary therapies do not have enough of a role in the CNHC register. She told BAD News: "The CNHC doesn't seem to want to involve the professional councils and we don't have much of an input, which seems strange. If they don't take guidance from the Reiki Federation then who are they taking guidance from?" Ms Sawyer added that the Federation recommends that members join the General Regulatory Council for Complementary Therapies (GRCCT), which is also a voluntary register that was established in 2007.

"The GRCCT is the most appropriate register for members because it liaises with professional councils and was involved with setting the National Occupational Standards (NOS)," Ms Sawyer said. "We feel the best deal is with the GRCCT because they listen."

For more information on the CNHC register go to:
http://www.cnhc.org.uk

To read more on the AOR go to:
http://www.aor.org.uk

For more on the Reiki Federation go to:
http://www.reikifed.co.uk