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.

holistic approach to illness = sugar pills and a 'there there' pat on the shoulder for half an hour
I'm not just horrified, I'm pretty fcking disgusted

mrsruffallo - What does that mean? Holistic means all encompassing, look at the list of specialists at your local hospital and I think you'll find they've got all the bases covered.

We have a homeopathy dept - its not cheap as its a consultant led service. I think its disgraceful that NHS wastes money on it.

trellism - I think we dismissed the cheap placebo argument when we heard that a central london hospital was being refurbished for £20m to provide this service.

Brightonlad - I don't believe regulation matters for homeopathy - they are giving out sugar pills and a bit more time than a gp can spend wth them.

I don't know what the charging structure will be - do you know what it is?

Pruneurs - they're giving out advice with the sugar pills that they're not qualified - or sufficientl accountable/regulated to give.
As for the pricing structure, anyone with a practice in central london must be charging a fair amount.

brightonlad - but given that the pills don't have any effect then they don't need to be regulated? You don't need to be regulated to give out jelly tots?

The RLHH offers a variety of complementary treatments on the NHS, including homeopathy, acupuncture, reflexology etc.

I was offered a range of treatments, including aromatherapy and massage when i was undergoing chemotherapy at Charing Cross hospital.

There are many areas where complementary medicine helps alongside conventional medicine, including cancer,arthritus, infertility,eating disorders etc.

I'm not saying that they need regulation, just that that's another reason they shouldn't get my tax £s.

Have you had experience Wasabi?
The sense of well being that something like Reiki can offer is appreciated by many patients who have this treatment.
Modern medicine is complemented by ancient approaches that concentrate on spiritual well being.
You are not forced to undergo anything, but the patient demand deems it a good idea and a popular resource that many patients benefit from

What does it matter how regulated a homoeopath is?
The GP will have ruled out anything serious (one hopes).
The homoeopath isn't giving out drugs or indeed doing anything physical.
What precisely do you want regulated?!

hazeyjane - I didn't realised they provided more credible treatments as well. Maybe they should think of rebranding - not in a consignia kind of way though, that would just make me angrier!

I mean, anyone can be a counsellor - I could set myself up as one tomorrow!

mrsruffallo - The spiritual benefits don't justify the cost to the tax payer. I wouldn't expect people to pay for me to go to church if I found solace in that whilst ill.

It is not actually commonplace to give out pills as far as I know. It is more about acupuncture and reiki etc. hands on healing.
Just because some of you don't believe in anything other than science it doesn't mean that you are right and everyone else is wrong

Pruneurs - the regulation issue for me is only a problem insofar that people will build up a relationship with a homepath and treat them as a credible source of treatment for other less abstract illnesses.

mrsruffallo - science isn't about believing it's about proving. If there's not enough money to pay for the stuff that's proven why start spending money on stuff that's not.

I think it's really bonkers that people are happier to give their tax £££ to one lot of people who have great expertise but readily admit (in private at any rate) that they cannot really help a large percentage of patients, rather than give their tax £££ to a group of people who may be delusional/charlatans/ well-meaning/visionaries, I don't know, but who at least are ALLOWED to use placebo.

The end result is quite possibly better treatment for patients, more time for patients in gp surgeries.

And our world is a little dumber for it, I know, but that's another argument and involves a lot more than just homoeopathy.

Reiki? That is when hippy women who smell odd wave their hands around and claim to be channeling energy through the air, right?
And you are trying to claim that is a good way to spend public cash, while the NHS has a funding deficit?

Troll on, troll

I thought homeopathy was about prescribing water, not sugar

And maybe there should be some complementary therapies available to people, but homeopathy is not the one - massage and counselling are both great 'placebo' medications - make the person feel relaxed and as if someone is listening to them respectively - great ways to complement real scientifically tried and tested medicine. Giving someone water is not the way forward though...

The people utilising these services are on the whole taxpayers I imagine. I am happy for them to seek alternative therapy if it offers respite.
Good health is not just about dispensing pharmaceuticals.

There must be cheaper ways of providing placebos.

Reiki is a triumph of marketing
It's really interesting how it has transcended the class division that alternative therapies usually have - ie homoeopathy/herbalism/osteopathy etc usually have been a v middle-class preserve.
Reiki is more available to everyone as it's easier to train in, short courses and little expertise needed. Sling in the word 'master' and you can't fail to make money.

That's just your opinion, wasabi. Some people like to seek solutions beyond convention. It wouldn't be availiable on the NHS if there wasn't a great demand. As I posted before, the majority of them are taxpayers.
Plenty of people disagree with you and believe that they have been healed or at least comforted by such practices.

It is not as black and white as saying that science works and comp medicine doesn't. Yes chemo works, but it also makes you feel like shit and kills of loads of healthy cells as well as cancerous ones, leading to all sorts of side effects. Complementary medicine can help with alleviating these side effects.