Keep complementary medicine out of NHS, say leading doctors
Tuesday May 23, 2006
Some of the UK's most eminent doctors have mounted a direct challenge to the integration of complementary medicine into the NHS, on the day that Prince Charles urges the World Health Assembly in Geneva to back the cause of alternative and complementary medicines alongside scientifically-proven treatments. Thirteen senior doctors have written to every hospital and primary care trust in the UK urging them not to suggest anything but evidence-based medicine to their patients.
There has been growing concern among some in medical and scientific circles about the increasing referral by GPs to complementary medicine practitioners. Some GPs use therapies such as acupuncture and homeopathy on their patients; others are increasingly willing to send them to complementary therapists in cases where they cannot themselves provide treatment.
Signatories to the letter include Sir James Black, who won the Nobel Prize for Medicine in 1988, Sir Keith Peters, president of the Academy of Medical Science, and, according to the Times, six fellows of the Royal Society. Yesterday a spokesman for the Royal Society said that it had not organised the letter, but acknowledged that the society took a sceptical view. "As far as the society is concerned, it has always said that alternative medicine needs to be assessed on the same sort of criteria as conventional medicine - but we have not expressed a view about its role within the NHS," said Bob Ward.
The letter was organised by Michael Baum, a cancer specialist who is emeritus professor of surgery at University College London. Edzard Ernst, professor of complementary medicine at Exeter University, is another signatory.
The doctors urge primary care trusts not to spend money on unproven therapies at a time when the NHS is short of cash. It criticises two recent initiatives of the Prince's Foundation for Integrated Medicine - a patient guide to complementary medicine, for which it was given government funds - and last year's Smallwood report, which purported to find that complementary medicine on the NHS was cost-effective.

And, of course, in the meantime this adds to the confusion of patients who may be quite ill and not have the time to really suss things out or try homeopathy for themselves.

One thing I've noticed is that every time there's a new assault upon homeopathy there are various people within my circle who will try anew to persuade me that I'm deluded and must be imagining any changes homeopathy has brought about for me.

Great!!!

here is that these people are trying to protect their income-family-homes-way of life - that is all errected on the money they get from the Pharmaceutical Giants.

Can you blame them for wanting to do this??

Errrrrrm. If it boils down to protecting a stream of income then, although I can understand this, when lives are at stake, I would nevertheless say, "Yes! I would blame them!"

Where they are defending sincerely held beliefs, that's different. I would understand, but perhaps not blame. But even then the confusion still affects patients and makes it very hard to judge the right course of action. There may be those out there who are urgently seeking answers and who will be deterred from choosing homeopathy because of the publicity and perceived "clout" of this letter.

It seems like there is this new influx of GP's who call themselves 'Integrative Doctors'. HUH??!!!
Yeah right. They do about 8 weeks on alternative therapies and think they are qualified to treat people.
Its a bit scarey really, I am studying the classical method with facial analysis and it is incredible the results happening withthis approach.
It is all about territory and money. Only an allopathic doctor is God. Yet you never hear the great media hype if a drug has bad side affects. We all just accept that that is the way it is. It might burn your insides to smitherenes but if it stops the depression then thats great. Sorry I am a bit negative to allopathic medicine.

Dear Snow
Welcome to the homeopathic forum.
Agreed,many of us homeopaths have been on the long toxic path of conventional meds for years with "O" results and the addition of adverse effects. This is why we choose homeopathy as the medicine of the future ,its the only true form of healing that sticks to the principles of ......"first do no harm"...................

Any expierences you would like to share?

Gina Tyler

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"Great ideas often recieve violent opposition from mediocre minds"...................Einstein

Hi Gina,
Homeopathics can be tricky too so its not just conventional medicine that can be used badly. Its just that allopathic medicine has greater acceptance in the community of Australia.
In fact if I were to need emergency or corrective surgery I wouldnt be waiting around for homeopathy to cure me so I guess there just has to be a balance and realistic attitude to what is needed. Allopathic medicine is can be a too easy a target for anybody wanting to practice an alternative method.
The college I am at runs a weekly public student clinic which is geared towards assisting people in the public arena or anyone who wants to be a study case for us students. It is very imformative and we have had some extremely good results. Some people dont return because they are feeling alot better and dont feel they need to and others are a little harder to treat which makes it a little more challenging. Overall it is very interesting to watch a patient get better without conventional treatment.
Have you any eperiences to share?
Regards snowyrose

Dear Snow

Yes ,many,many cases done via homeopathy with permanent cures.Patients...............,
Myself and entire family included.
Chronic,acute and yes even cases with pathology have been healed via only homeopathy. With expierence only can we see these amazing results,when you are a student first few years of homeopathic study it is a big struggle,homeopathy is extremely different than allopathy and you need to think outside of the box.
Many cases you can find here searching this homeopathic forum.
Or at the www.Hpathy.com
forum (look under clinical cases in the left margin)

Gina Tyler

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"Great ideas often recieve violent opposition from mediocre minds"...................Einstein

I have relied on homeopathy for a long time now, whatever the others might say I know that it works, I have seen it work on some chronic problems as well. I have undergone homeopahty treatments for the problems of indigestion and they worked wonderfully well in my case. Prior to this all the conventional treatment options did not work in me, so I will continue to be a dedicated homeopthic believer for the rest of my life.

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Switch to Glyconutrients for a healthy life.

Dear abbot
Welcome to the homeopathic forum,thanks for the imput.
New statistics adverse effects of allopathic meds to date is as follows
700,000 people in the usa per yr suffer from malpractice,mishaps in sugery,faulty procedures,adverse effects from prescriptions/vaccines causing fatal or life long chonic illness. One in every 86 children has autism due directly to vaccines.................................

The miracles of modern medicine.................
GT

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"Great ideas often recieve violent opposition from mediocre minds"...................Einstein