The Prince of Wales is launching a scheme to increase the use of alternative medicine in primary healthcare, reports Ananova.com on Wednesday.

According to the story, the Prince, president of the Foundation of Integrated Medicine, wants more co-operation between the National Health Service and alternative therapists.

The Integrated Healthcare Initiative will seek to raise the availability of services for people who cannot afford to pay for alternative treatments. It aims to create a "learning collaborative" for those setting up integrated services in primary care.The Prince is also announcing details of successful pilot projects involving integrated primary healthcare that have already taken place.

The scheme will seek to build on partnerships with the NHS Alliance, the National Association for Primary Care and the national complementary healthcare bodies.