15/05/2026
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New findings published on the 23rd March 2026 by the Integrated Medicine Alliance (IMA) show that complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) are rapidly achieving mainstream adoption with 43% of UK adults surveyed – equating to 24.5 million people if applied nationwide - having used them at least once.
Some key findings from the survey are:
~Millennials (currently between 30 and 45 years old as of 2026) are the most interested in alternative treatments, with 83% saying that CAMs have helped them. ~Massage is the most popular treatment, with more than a quarter of people having tried it (27%), followed by herbal medicine (19%), aromatherapy (14%), and acupuncture (13%).
~Millennials were also found to be twice as likely than older generations to want the NHS to fund CAMs treatments. With almost seven in 10 millennials saying the NHS should provide free access to Complementary and Alternative Medicines for those who wished to use them.
~16% of people using or considering CAMs did so because of a GP recommendation.
~8% of those surveyed turned to social media to research treatments. YouTube was the most popular website for research, with 22% turning to it, ahead of the 20% who checked official websites. This was followed by Facebook (17%), TikTok (16%) and alternative medicine practitioners (15%).
Dr Naveed Akhtar, chairman of the Integrated Medicine Alliance, said:
"The message is clear: it is time to move beyond the false divide between believers and sceptics. While professional debate has remained polarised, the public has quietly made its choice. Complementary therapies are already helping large numbers of people and easing pressure on the NHS. When an approach delivers genuine benefit, meets patient needs and conserves public resources, the question is no longer whether it belongs, but how we organise healthcare around what genuinely helps patients."
Professor Sir Sam Everington, Co-Chair of the College of Medicine said:
“The best outcomes for patients are delivered when the focus is on what matters to them and when they are allowed to take the lead. We call this personal medicine, a blend of traditional bio-medicine and alternatives which focuses on the simple question: what makes you well? - physically, mentally and socially. Patients tell us that CAMs play a really important part in this balance.”
https://collegeofmedicine.org.uk/new-survey-proves-critical-need-for-greater-consistency-in-how-cams-are-understood-explained-and-recommended-across-primary-care/