AUSTRALIAN-BASED general practitioner George Crisp is to advise a Medway herbal medicine company.

Bio-Health, of Rochester, has appointed Dr Crisp, a GP in Perth, Western Australia, as medical advisor.

The company specialises in herbal medicines and complementary health, manufacturing a wide range of products.

Dr Crisp has been taken on to advise the company on consumer inquiries, product development, labelling and online consumer health information. He will be in touch with the firm via telephone and email.

It follows a recent EU Directive on traditional herbal medicinal products requiring all herbal medicines on sale in the UK to be regulated for safety and quality.

Bio-Health has been working towards the new regulations for some time.

Dr Crisp was born in Surrey in 1961 and qualified at Westminster and Charing Cross Medical School in 1986. He completed his training in Bristol in 1992 and now runs a general practice with three colleagues.

His special interests include travel and sports medicine, heart disease and asthma.

Vic Perfitt, managing director of Bio-Health, said: "We are delighted to have George on board. Herbal medicine has grown enormously in popularity in recent years and many people now turn to herbal medicines to treat a wide range of conditions.

"It is important that we are able to offer qualified advice and assistance to our customers and George’s help will be invaluable to the company, allowing Bio-Health to provide an improved service to both retailers and consumers."

Dr Crisp added: "With the growing use of alternative and complementary medicines, I have become increasingly interested in understanding and evaluating these treatments as part of my practice.

"I am looking forward to having an opportunity to become involved in herbal medicine and am delighted to be joining Bio-Health in an advisory capacity."