FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Where are you based?
I am based in Huddersfield but I have patients across the UK and EU.
Why are you charging for medicine?
Currently the UK government does not include herbal medicine as a therapy funded within the NHS. This means that medical herbalist's have to charge for their services.
My University of Lincoln degree took 3 years to complete and cost me approximately £30,000. For the ongoing cost of paying this back, earning a living and being able to pay room rent, dispensary costs and many other overheads I have to charge for my services.
I only work with new patients with a chronic health problem through monthly consultations. If you have only one problem that is not life altering (hay fever, acute non-life threatening infection etc) then contact me for a reduced rate for a single short consultation with medicine.
Do you offer a guarantee?
Unfortunately I cannot offer a guarantee that your treatment will work. If you are unhappy with the service and would like to complain then please contact me so I can rectify anything at the earliest opportunity. Most people come to me following a recommendation. Evidence for the use and efficacy of herbal medicine can be found at Green Med Info, where study abstracts on herbs have been collected showing their therapeutic value in medicine.
For peace of mind in regards to my practice of herbal medicine please see the reviews on the Facebook page - Jonny's Apothecary
I also have a large number of Google reviews found on my Google business listing.
Are there any side effects?
Herbs are, in general, very safe and often have no side effects. It is more likely that any reaction to herbs will be an allergic one but this is rare and unlikely you or I will know beforehand whether you actually are allergic.
Is it safe to take herbs alongside my medication?
Herbal medicine can interact with pharmaceutical medicine and/or contraception but I always check the relevant material to research that the prescription I choose is safe for you to take alongside medication.
If herbal medicine worked then it would be used by the NHS right?
There is plenty of research on the evidence base for herbal medicine found at PubMed and Green Med Info. Articles, studies and human trials are being submitted daily.
Answering this question would involve a lengthy discussion on history, capitalism and the scientific process which focuses on reductionism as a point of trying to explain how things work.
Ultimately medical herbalists work holistically in ways that confuse scientists and the NHS.
There is also a debate involved with the patent of pharmaceutical medication versus the impossibility of patenting nature. Meaning herbal medicine is owned by no one. It is the 'peoples' medicine. As such, pharmaceutical medicine can be owned by corporations and sold at prices far exceeding what a herbal remedy would be sold for.
Are you insured?
Yes, I am fully covered by Balen's Insurance against indemnity and malpractice
Are you a member of a professional association?
Yes, I am a fully paid member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists (NIMH), the oldest professional membership association for qualified medical herbalists in the UK.
I have to abide by a code of ethics and rules.
Can you treat my animal?
No. A medical herbalist is not trained to treat animals and it is actually illegal for me to do so. There are vets who are trained in herbal medicine for animals.
Do you have a data policy?
As an insured, accredited and qualified herbalist I am registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office and have to abide by the EU’s General Data Protection Policy (GDPR). Your information is not shared with a third party.
