It believed that 2013 will be the year to see the end of homoeopathy services provided by the NHS. £4 million go into the spending of this industry and many are concerned that this money is simply being wasted on 'placebos' that have not been 'scientifically proven to work'.
Homoeopathy is another name for complementary and alternative medicines. It is an option available to the patient if they choose, to go alongside or instead of the conventional western medicines available to them. The treatments provided under this branch of medicine follow the general principle that if a treatment or substance can cause a symptom then it can also remove that symptom - when it is present in a diluted form. Some common treatments include the likes of acupuncture and herbal remedies.
Funnily enough, this is not the first time I've come across alternative medicine. For my EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) I investigated the science behind fasting and the truth behind the rumours that it lowered high blood pressure. I came to like the idea of using fasting as opposed to conventional medications as it provided a route free of side effects as well as (when done right) providing effective results. However, this alternative method does not follow the general principles mentioned above and so I'm not entirely convinced it comes under the heading of 'homoeopathy'.
Reviews on homoeopathy are mixed. For instance, earlier this year a report from the Commons Science and Technology Committee concluded that the service was no more than a placebo and recommended to the government that all funding from the NHS should stop.
Obviously, this is an extremely controversial topic so I'm not going to dwell on the opinions on others as realistically the phasing out of such services really comes down to the decisions of GPS.
Currently, homoeopathy is only available in certain areas of the NHS. 3 NHS Hospitals that are known to specialise in these services include the Royal London, Glasgow and Bristol hospitals. However, it is believed that the future of Bristol Homoeopathy looks negative as it's popularity has declined over the year.
GPs are also able to practice homoeopathy and are able to also refer patients to homoeopaths. However, it is believed that the majority of GPs are against the service. As GPs are now responsible for most of the health service budget, due to the new CCGs put in place (Clinical Commissioning Groups), it is now largely in their hands to decide if the treatment should be 'funded' or 'rationed'.
What do you think? Are with or against GPs? Let me know - comment below or e-mail me.
Homoeopathy 101:
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tomchivers/100044581/homeopathy-dropped-by-the-nhs-and-about-time/
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/9962151/Doctors-want-homeopathy-on-the-NHS-to-end.html
http://www.quackometer.net/blog/2012/12/2013-will-see-the-end-of-nhs-homeopathy-hospitals-in-england.html
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