To be horrified that you can get homepathic treatments on the NHS

[brightonlad]

It seems extraordinary that with the NHS experiencing major funding problems and people being turned down for treatments on the grounds of cost that we're paying for people to have this kind of therapy.
If you read the theory behind it it's obviously bogus and the results of all the trials that have been done have consistently shown it to be no better than placebo.
The only way to justify it that I can see is as a form of faith healing and I wouldn't expect my GP to tell me to see my Priest least of all make a generous donation to the roof fund.

is it actually free on the nhs? we have stuff like that at our gp surgery but you have to pay for it

If you live in Hove, shouldn't you be hovelad ?

YANBU, it is such a giant load of nonsense, and when I rule the world, anyone who subscribes to that nonsense will be denied the vote
but prepare yourself for the wrath of the devotees on here...

I should be Hovelad but I guess I'm selling out to Brightons more glamorous image.

Mitchy, there is an NHS homeopathic hospital in London.
It is a few doors down from Great Ormand Street hospital and is funded by the NHS
When you think that Great Ormond Street has to appeal to the public to get enough money to buy essential equipment to save the lives of gravely ill babies and children, it makes me beyond furious that the homeopathic place receives state money

YABU sometimes homeopathy works. sometimes conventional medicine works. the most appropriate treatment fo the health issue needs to be chose whether complementary or conventional.

That's exactly what I mean. Disgusting waste of money. Surely scientifically proven and statistically validated interventions should be adequately funded before we piss money away on these snake oil salesmen.

we will end up like this

EccentricaGallumbits - Homeopathy has been consitently proven not to work by rigorously administered trials. It's no better than placebo. A respirator for a premature baby is not a matter of faith or placebo.

Thought so.

I agree. There is no evidence to suggest that homeopathy has any specific effect. Providing homeopathy is a waste of NHS resources.

I think it's probably quite a shrewd idea on the part of the NHS.

It is known that placebo is a powerful tool.

Ethically, medics aren't allowed to knowingly prescribe placebo.

Homoeopathy is widely accepted by the public.

Either homoeopathy works or it is placebo, it doesn't matter which, and it is cheap.

It's win-win for the NHS.

[cynic]

i agree, if any 'complimentary' treatments are made available they should be those with some evidence such as acupuncture, massage or manual manipulation.

while i have some time for herbalism... homeopathy i have no time for AT ALL!!!

Homeopathy is not cheap if it requires a honking great hospital on Great Ormond Street. If people want a placebo they can buy it from your friendly neighbourhood charlatan out of their own pocket.

If i cry ONE drop into water then waft it abotu you, will it affect you no

its a pile of shit

bloody hell, I thought the London one was being shut down, but have just been googling it, and it's being rebuilt for £20 million!
www.uclh.nhs.uk/Our+hospitals/Royal+London+Homoeopathic+Hospital.htm

WTF?!

It 's just such a load of bullshit, and yes it may sometimes 'cure' people who are not actually ill, but it's not real medicine!

According to the NHS choices website:
"Despite the lack of clinical evidence, homeopathy remains a popular complementary therapy and it is available on the NHS. In the UK, there are several NHS homeopathic hospitals and some GP practices also offer homeopathic treatment. Homeopathy is also practised privately.

There are several associations for practitioners of homeopathy which have a range of positions on the integration of homeopathy with orthodox medicine. See the ?useful links? section for more information about this.

Unlike doctors, nurses, and other conventional healthcare professionals, homeopaths do not have to be registered with a regulatory body. The ?Complementary and Natural Healthcare Council? is a voluntary organisation which practitioners can register with, but they do not have to. "

Gah! This is really not good for my health, I feel like my eyes are popping out in a fury. Maybe we should start a petition to stop free homeopathy treatment on the NHS?!

Pruneurs, according to the website for the London homeopathic hospital "it has recently undergone a comprehensive £20m makeover"

That doesn't make it 'cheap' in my book...

Brightonlad you miss my point

A couple of sessions with a homeopath could save the NHS from paying for multiple consultations with a GP - for low-level malaise, depression, etc. Whether it works or not (I don't believe it does), it is known to exhibit placebo effect, and that is what they are harnessing, no doubt!

Yanbu it is a load of crap and annoying.

No agree about the hospital

here's a nice petition

petitions.number10.gov.uk/right-to-choose/

Pruneurs - you're assuming that the homeopath doesn't charge heavily for their time and won't offer other diagnoses diverting the patient from more effective medication.
They're also completely unregulated so any scary witch doctor type could set up and pedal any old thing.

It compliments conventional medicine by offering an holistic approach to illness.
YABU
Nothing to be horrified about

arolf - She's asking for homepathic treatment for LUNG CANCER!!!! That's pretty f*cking brave!

I was offered ante-natal classes at the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital. I nearly went, too, but DH pointed out that I wouldn't make myself too many friends there.

It offered cranial osteopathy classes for newborns. I thought you should never prod a newborn baby's head if you don't know exactly what you are doing!

But there is an argument that hypochondriacs are a big drain on the NHS's resources and homeopathic pills are cheap to prescribe and have no long term effects, so it is actually cost-effective to send people there (as long as you've made sure that there isn't actually anything seriously wrong with them).

But no doubt there will be a ton of invective dumped on this thread very shortly with the same old twaddle about having an open mind, gradually disintegrating into another slanging match about vaccination.