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MPs call for end to NHS funding of homeopathy
22 Feb 10
MPs have called on the Government to scrap the funding of homeopathy on the NHS, backing overwhelming calls earlier this month from GPs.
The Commons science and technology committee also insisted the MHRA should not allow homeopathic product labels to make medical claims without evidence of efficacy.
They are not medicines and homeopathic products should no longer be licensed by the MHRA, it concluded.
The MPs’ call follows an investigation to test if the Government's policies on homeopathy were based on sound evidence.
It also comes just weeks after a Pulse survey of nearly 800 GPs, of whom 80% said the NHS should not continue funding for homeopathy.
The BMA has also attacked plans to allow patients to pay for services such as homeopathy as part of the personal budgets pilots.
Phil Willis MP, chair of the science and technology committee, said: ‘This was a challenging inquiry which provoked strong reactions. We were seeking to determine whether the Government's policies on homeopathy are evidence-based. They are not.
‘It sets an unfortunate precedent for the Department of Health to consider the existence of a community that believes homeopathy works is 'evidence' enough to continue spending public money on it. We await the Government's response to our report with interest.’
The DH said it would consider the report over the coming weeks, but added: ‘Our view is the local NHS and clinicians, rather than Whitehall, are best placed to make decisions on what treatment is appropriate - including homeopathy.’
Readers' comments
That's great news, hope the MHRA will follow the suggestion. It's time to stop this sugarpill nonsense.
Not a moment too early. Let's see action now.
According to Professor Candid from the University of Axminster, homeopathic medicines 'taste just like water'. In a recent interview given about his latest research project the professor said 'To be honest, I've always prided myself on my scientific scepticism but I have to admit that even I was surprised when I tasted a homeopathic remedy for the first time'. 'What did it taste like? You might well ask, well nothing really, it was like a combination of water with maybe a hint of saliva, I was expecting it to taste like lizard shit or something'. As part of the research project the professor took the medicines home with him. 'I was allowed to take a vial of this stuff home with me and the only thing that gave it some bite was a shot of vodka'. He added that 'without that it was a waste of f****ing time'. He went on to say: 'Imagine my surprise when I started reading about homeopathy, these nutters believe that water has memory and that it actually gets stronger the more you dilute it, I mean you couldn't make this shit up'. Prof Candid concluded that the only sensible thing was to close down the NHS funded homeopathy hospitals. He suggested that the surplus money could be used to construct an enormous rune stone right in the middle of Bond Street which had the power to zap cosmic energy up patients' arses.
So it's not Prince Charles and his poodles who dictate UK health policy? I guess we will wait and see what action the Government takes to answer this question.
In Australia, some homeopaths are claiming that they have cured cancer http://www.blip.tv/file/2747331 When people start to believe that their illness is caused by diminished 'vital force' the claims for cures don't stop at self-limiting health conditions. If homeopathy was proven to work, they would need to re-write all the physics and chemistry text books. Also the homeopath that proved it would be entitled to win the Nobel Prize for Physics.