Support for homeopathy on the NHS

The Society of Homeopaths supports its colleagues in the medical profession who are campaigning to keep homeopathy available on the NHS.

There are approximately 600 doctors in the UK who use homeopathy, over 55,000 patients a year are seen through homeopathic hospitals, many with conditions not helped through other specialists in the NHS.

The cost of homeopathy on the NHS is low - just 0.001% of the £11 billion drugs budget. Homeopathic appointment and hospital costs are approximately £4 million per annum, compared with the cost of anti depressants alone which was £291.5million in 2007.

The Society further notes that in 2005, a report commissioned by Prince Charles and carried out by economist Christopher Smallwood found that following a pilot study where patients were treated with complementary and alternative medicines, there was a 30 per cent drop in the number of consultations with GPs and a saving in prescription drugs bills of 50%.1

In 2005, the largest service evaluation of homeopathic hospital treatment reported that 70 per cent of 6,500 follow-up patients experienced improvement in their health. 2                  

Yet the British Medical Association (BMA) is this week voting on a series of motions calling for an end to homeopathy on the NHS, without any consultation with its own members who practice homeopathy, or the tens of thousands of people who depend on homeopathy on the NHS.

David Tredinnick MP has tabled an Early Day Motion stating that the BMA “has overstepped its remit”  and that “an integrated NHS, which employs the best from the orthodox and complementary, and which empowers patients, could deliver better and more cost-effective outcomes at a time of financial prudence; and calls on the Government to maintain its policy of allowing decision-making on individual clinical interventions, including homeopathy, to remain in the hands of local NHS service providers and practitioners who are best placed to know their community's needs.”

The Society also notes that homeopathy has been available on the National Health Service since it was created in 1948, when five hospitals were already well established, and were handed over to the NHS to be run under the new system.

Members of the Society and patients will be among those protesting before the BMA conference, along with members of The British Homeopathic Association and the Faculty of Homeopathy (whose members are medically qualified health professionals).

They are concerned that their members who are also members of the BMA were not consulted, and have been refused permission to address the conference.

1.  Smallwood, C. The Role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the NHS. Research commissioned by HRH Prince of Wales. FreshMinds, October 2005, p.56.
2.  Spence D, Thompson E and Barron S. Homeopathic treatment for chronic disease: A 6-Year, university-hospital outpatient observational study. J Altern Complement Med 2005; 5: 793-8.

The Society of Homeopaths
Established in 1978, The Society of Homeopaths is the largest body of professional homeopaths in the UK. Our Registered Members (RSHoms) are qualified, registered and fully insured and have agreed to practise in accordance with our Code of Ethics & Practice.

For more information or to set up an interview with Chair of the Board of Directors, Zofia Dymitr please contact Pamela Stevens at The Society of Homeopaths on 0845 450 6611 or pamela_stevens@homeopathy-soh.org

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SIMMER FOR SUMMER 2009

During 3 weeks in June 2009 members of SCHN donated half of their treatment fee to St Raphael's Hospice in North Cheam. I am pleased to be able to report that we were able to donate £160.

As a long standing member of SCHN, I was happy to join in the Appeal. Which will repeated next year.

To view all the SCHN Therapists, just click her for the SCHN website, then click on Therapies on the top left of the Homepage.

Click here for more information about St Raphael’s.