Homeopathy Resource Newsletter: February 2010
HOMEOPATHY RESOURCE: URGENT UPDATE
Please take five minutes to read this and take any action you consider effective! You are welcome to forward this newsletter.
The homeopathic world is reacting to the negative outcome of the Scientific and Technological Committee's Report on Homeopathy which was published on Monday. A small group of MPs wants the Government to stop homeopathic treatment being available on the NHS. The Report has been described by the Faculty of Homeopathy as narrow, cursory and irresponsible.
I attended the mass Lobby of Parliament yesterday, organised by the HMC21 group. There was an excellent turnout: 220 estimated, a number of whom did manage to speak to their MPs. I met Jenny Seagrove briefly, as she attended in person to support homeopathy. David Tredinnick, the Chair of the Integrated Health Committee, spoke to a few of us and mentioned MPs' concerns about this report. He has already started an Early Day Motion (EDM 908) questioning the Report's findings:
"That this House expresses concern at the conclusions of the Science and Technology Committee's Report, Evidence Check on Homeopathy; notes that the Committee took only oral evidence from a limited number of witnesses, including known critics of homeopathy Tracy Brown, the Managing Director of Sense About Science, and journalist Dr Ben Goldacre, who have no expertise in the subject; believes that evidence should have been heard from primary care trusts that commission homeopathy, doctors who use it in a primary care setting, and other relevant organisations, such as the Society of Homeopaths, to provide balance; observes that the Committee did not consider evidence from abroad from countries such as France and Germany, where provision of homeopathy is far more widespread than in the UK, or from India, where it is part of the health service; regrets that the Committee ignored the 74 randomised controlled trials comparing homeopathy with placebo, of which 63 showed homeopathic treatments were effective, and that the Committee recommends no further research; further notes that 206 Hon. Members signed Early Day Motion No. 1240 in support of NHS homeopathic hospitals in Session 2006-07; and calls on the Government to maintain its policy of allowing decision-making on individual clinical interventions, including homeopathy, to remain in the hands of local NHS service providers and practitioners who are best placed to know their community's needs."
It has 18 signatures so far; a minimum 120 MP's signatures are required before it will be heard in the House. Please, even if you are not normally a political animal, email your MP with this link requesting them to sign the EDM: http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=40517. It could easily become an election issue.
There is a good chance that your MP will be sympathetic to your cause; 206 MPs (out of about 650) signed EDM 1240 in 2007 in support of homeopathic hospitals, and the spokesman for the Department of Health (which will provide a full response in two months) commented on the Report that "the local NHS and clinicians, rather than Whitehall, are best placed to make decisions on what treatment is appropriate for their patients - this includes complementary or alternative treatments such as homoeopathy."
The Minister for Health on 1 Dec 2009 told the Science and Technology select committee that cutting the NHS spend on homeopathy is not justified and that a body of reputable people, including doctors, believe in it. He said cutting the funding would be "illiberal" and "a denial of personal choice". He also said there were a range of opinions amongst clinicians and scientists which could not be ignored and he told the committee that there was "justification for more research" in homeopathy.
He reiterated that it is up to individual clinicians to decide on the best treatment for their patients and that it was not his job to tell GPs whether or not to prescribe homeopathy. He also clarified that the NHS spend on homeopathic medicines is only £152,000, from a total NHS annual drugs budget of £11 billion.
It is very easy to email your MP: the address will be their surname, followed by initial@parliament.uk. For example, Cheryl Gillan is the MP for Amersham and Chesham (as well as Shadow Secretary of State for Wales) - her email address is GILLANC@parliament.uk. You just need a few short lines explaining why you think it's important for your MP to sign this motion.
HMC21 also delivered a Declaration that "Homeopathy Worked For Me" to Downing Street at 4pm yesterday afternoon. They are aiming for that to be 100,000 signatures by June. If you haven't already signed it online, anyone of any age can do so: http://www.hmc21.org/.
Lastly, there is a new petition and apologies if you've already been directed to it, but it would be great if you could take five seconds to sign it: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/Homeopathy1/ and/or forward it etc.
Thank you very much for your kind attention and my very best wishes to you.
Sincerely,
Linda Lloyd
MLCHom, DipHEAR, FARH, Homeopathic Consultant,
Chesham in Bucks, England
Telephone: 01494 416376
Email: Linda@HomeopathyResource.com
Web: www.HomeopathyResource.com
Posted on February 26, 2010 09:41 PM
