Areas

Herbal medicine

Herbal medicine is one of the most longstanding traditions in human health and healing, with deep cultural roots across the globe. Yet in modern contexts, it occupies a complex space — widely used by the public, but often marginal to formal healthcare systems. Its popularity is growing, but so too are questions around safety, efficacy, and professional accountability.

At the Osrington Trust, we focus on herbal medicine not out of nostalgia or unquestioned belief, but because we see a clear public interest in doing so responsibly. In the absence of statutory regulation, we believe there is a need for independent bodies that can uphold scientific professional standards, support sound education, and offer clear guidance to both practitioners and the public.

Our approach is grounded in skepticism, integrity, and transparency. We support herbal medicine only where it is informed by evidence, delivered with ethical care, and practiced within clearly defined limits. We do not endorse exaggerated claims or uncritical traditionalism — but we also recognise that well-regulated, well-informed herbal practice can serve real public needs, particularly when integrated thoughtfully with modern understanding.

Herbal medicine is not a replacement for conventional care, nor is it universally appropriate. But it is a reality of contemporary health culture, and one that demands thoughtful engagement rather than dismissal. Through our affiliated colleges and councils, we seek to shape a more credible, constructive future for herbalism — one that respects its history while holding it to modern standards.