Full-Composition Granules (FCG) are concentrated extracts of herbal materials. Just like instant coffee granules, and produced using a very similar method, your herbal medicine is very quick and convenient to prepare: just pour on hot water.

Chinese Herbal Medicine (CHM) uses hot-water decoctions. Traditionally, a herbal formula would be boiled vigorously for approximately an hour. Since the compounds in hot-water decoctions are all water-soluble, the water can be rapidly evaporated to leave us with the FCGs which can again be conveniently dissolved by pouring on hot water, per the instructions which will be explained during your consultations and provided in written form with your herbal medicine formula. 

Ko Da are reputed as the gold-standard in FCGs, certified non-GMO, using certified gluten-free excipients and subject to stringent auditing through the RCHM Approved-Suppliers Scheme.

View the 'quality assured, tested for contaminants' box below for more information.

I am proud to be a practising member of the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine in good standing. Accredited by the European Herbal and Traditional Practitioners Association (EHTPA), the training I have undertaken in Chinese Herbal Medicine is the highest calibre in herbal medicine education. 

My focus in practice is in the safe and effective application in herbal medicine treatment. The practice of herbal medicine is a continuous process of evaluating the progress of treatment and amending the treatment appropriately. Above all, I endeavour to provide professional and compassionate care for my patients.

For more information about my training and education, please visit www.alanlongcroft.co.uk.

With your permission, I will always personally write to your GP to inform them that you have commenced a course of herbal medicine treatment and inform them of any updates in your care. Your GP, multi-disciplinary team (MDT) or any other healthcare professional involved in your care is always welcome to make contact regarding the details of your herbal medicine treatment, but your explicit consent will always be taken for this in advance.

In addition, the details of all pharmaceutical treatments you are using will be taken before any herbal medicine is prescribed. The EHTPA-accredited herbal medicine training is the highest standard of herbal medicine education in the UK, and I stay up-to-date with updates in documented cases of herb-drug interaction. Using herbal medicine under the supervision of an expert RCHM-certified herbalist ensures the safest environment for your herbal medicine care.

While herbal medicine isn't available freely within our universal healthcare system, I believe passionately that your treatment should be affordable and accessible. I also believe that the specific treatment you need shouldn't dictate the cost to you. That's why, no matter the number of herbs in your herbal formula, the size of dosage you require or the frequency of our consultation appointments, I use a fixed weekly fee structure at £19 per week.

The weekly fee covers the herbal materials you will be sent, their postage and my time as regularly as you need. We will agree a schedule for your consultation appointments, and in between these you can book any extra times or contact me whenever you need. The fixed weekly fee ensures I can also avoid rollercoaster pricing for my patients each time the constituents of their formula are amended or due to fluctuating costs throughout the herbal medicine supply chain.

To be clear, I don't run a herbal shop and the materials I use through the RCHM Approved Suppliers Scheme are not available for general sale. I offer a comprehensive service using herbal medicine for your healthcare needs on the basis of professional judgement. 

In addition, patients in the Norfolk area who would also benefit from acupuncture or manual therapy are welcome to attend my face-to-face services at The Lanes Clinic in Norwich. Herbal medicine patients qualify for a discounted rate of £31 per session (from £50 per session). For more information visit www.alanlongcroft.co.uk.

Sourced exclusively through the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine's Approved Suppliers Scheme, all herbal materials are assessed for correct species identification, ingredient toxicity and contamination as part of the scheme's medical audit, under the supervision of trained pharmaceutical auditors.

Each batch of Ko Da pharmaceuticals herbal medicines are subject to testing for:

1. Thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) species identification
2. Sulphur dioxide residue

3. Heavy metals (ICP-OES)
4. Pesticide residue (GC-MSMS)
5. Microbial contamination
6. Aristolochic acid (LC-MSMS)
7. Aflatoxin (HPCL-FL)
8. Loss on drying and essential oil content
9. Total ash and insoluble ash content
10. Compound stability

For more information about the Ko Da Pharmaceuticals range, visit:
https://www.kodaherbs.com/about/quality-control/

I do not condone the use of any endangered plant or animal species.

Species identification rules out the presence of CITES-listed endangered plant species. In addition, no animal products of any type are used - this is a legal condition around herbal medicine practice in the UK as well as RCHM policy, which also reflects my personal code.

Furthermore, violations of animal welfare and abuse of endangered species have been condemned throughout the history of Chinese Herbal Medicine as early as the 1st Century AD. Modern practices which abuse these principles to profit from the traffic of (predominantly inert) animal materials could not be further removed from the spirit of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Full Composition Granules (FCG) are simple and convenient to use. Just poor over a small amount of hot water to dissolve, allow some time to cool and drink as a small beverage. Depending on your herbal medicine prescription, you may need to take this on a full stomach, an empty stomach, or, most commonly, 15-30 minutes before a reasonable-sized meal. This will all be explained during your consultation and written instructions will be provided with your herbal medicine.

Your individual healthcare needs shouldn't dictate the financial implication of undertaking treatment; this is my philosophy. See the 'Affordable service' box above for more information regarding my herbal medicine fee structure. 

That's why patients in the Norfolk area who would benefit from acupuncture or manual therapy alongside their herbal medicine treatment are able to access these treatments at a discounted rate of £31 per session (from £50 per session). This way, no patient will pay more than the regular treatment session fee in a given week.

Visit www.alanlongcroft.co.uk for information about my acupuncture and manual therapy services.