http://www.guardian.co.uk/medicine/stor ... ?gusrc=rss
Top doctors accused of 'medical apartheid'
Staff and agencies
Tuesday May 23, 2006
A group of leading British doctors called today for the NHS to stop using
"unproven" complementary treatments such as homeopathy, sparking complaints
of "medical apartheid" by proponents of the therapies.
Groups representing complementary practitioners reacted angrily to the
letter from 13 of the country's most eminent doctors, sent to every
hospital and primary care trust in the UK and urging them to reject such
treatments in favour of those "based on solid evidence".
Article continues
The letter sets the doctors squarely against the views of Prince Charles,
who is to call on the World Health Organisation later today to back a more
holistic approach to treatment alongside conventional medicines.
The doctors' letters singled out homeopathy, in which a hugely diluted form
of a remedy is used to treat patients, among the "unproven or disproved
treatments" currently being funded by the NHS.
"It is an implausible treatment for which over a dozen systematic reviews
have failed to produce convincing evidence of effectiveness," said the letter,
"Despite this, a recently-published patient guide, promoting use of
homeopathy without making the lack of proven efficacy clear to patients, is
being made available through government funding."
The letter, organised by Michael Baum, emeritus professor of surgery at
University College London and signed by Nobel prize-winner Sir James Black
and Sir Keith Peters, president of the Academy of Medical Science, among
others, complained that the use of such therapies drained resources from
other areas.
"I'm all in favour of treatments that make people better but there is the
issue of evidence," Professor Baum told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"How do we know that what we are witnessing is a real effect or a placebo?
If the placebo is non-toxic and cheap, it doesn't matter.
"My concern is the issue of opportunity cost. If the NHS is spending good
money on placebos at the cost of not providing effective medicines, then it
does matter. "
The UCL hospital trust had spent £20m on refurbishing the Royal Homeopathic
hospital, Professor Baum said, cash he claimed could save 600 lives a year
if spent on the anti-cancer drug Herceptin and other conventional drugs.
Dr Peter Fisher, clinical director of the Royal Homeopathic hospital,
conceded that the way homeopathy worked was not fully understood, but
argued this did not mean it should be abandoned.
"I think what this suggestion amounts to is a form of medical apartheid:
any therapy which can't trace its origins to what is called the biochemical
model should be excluded from the NHS," he told Today.
"The weight of the evidence does suggest that homeopathy is effective."
Prince Charles, a passionate advocate of complementary therapies, will make
his feelings on the matter plain later today in a speech to the World
Health Assembly in Geneva advocating a more holistic approach to healthcare.
"I do believe most strongly that we should not view health as something
that exists in isolation, but forms as a direct consequence of our
communities, our cultures, our lifestyle and the way we interact with our
environment," Charles will say.
Charles first advocated the use of alternative medicines alongside orthodox
treatments more than 20 years ago. He later established the Prince's
Foundation for Integrated Health, which encourages the development of
complementary medicines and integrated healthcare.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath
Well Within & Earth Mysteries & Sacred Site Tours (worldwide)
Vaccination Information & Choice Network
http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm
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UK: Top doctors accused of 'medical apartheid'
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Sheri Nakken
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Sheri Nakken
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UK: Top doctors accused of 'medical apartheid'
Hate the term complementary therapy - basically and allopathic
category..............
Like everything is on earth to 'compliment' the all powerful, end all and
be all of allopathy
Sheri
http://www.express.co.uk/news.html?sku= ... 7374265-H3
Complementary therapists hit back
23/05/06
Supporters of complementary therapies said that a campaign urging the NHS
to reject the treatments in favour of those "based on solid evidence" was
frustrating and amounts to "medical apartheid".
A group of British scientists has written to NHS Trusts recommending they
reject funding for "unproven or disproved treatments" and use available
funds for treatments proven to be effective, it has been reported.
Describing homeopathy as "an implausible treatment for which over a dozen
systematic reviews have failed to produce convincing evidence of
effectiveness", the letter was said to have been organised by Michael Baum,
emeritus professor of surgery at University College London and 12 other
scientists.
Further signatories include Nobel Prize-winner Sir James Black and Sir
Keith Peters, president of the Academy of Medical Science, the Times reported.
Prof Baum told BBC Radio 4: "I'm all in favour of treatments that make
people better but there is the issue of evidence.
"How do we know that what we are witnessing is a real effect or a placebo?
If the placebo is non-toxic and cheap, it doesn't matter.
"My concern is the issue of opportunity cost. If the NHS is spending good
money on placebos at the cost of not providing effective medicines, then it
does matter.
"The UCL Hospital Trust has spent £20 million on refurbishing the Royal
Homeopathic Hospital. If that sum of money was spent on making available
Herceptin and aromatase inhibitors, then it could be saving in my own
health district 600 lives a year."
Dr Peter Fisher, clinical director of the Royal Homeopathic Hospital, told
the programme: "I think what this suggestion amounts to is a form of
medical apartheid: any therapy which can't trace its origins to what is
called the biochemical model should be excluded from the NHS."
Dr Fisher acknowledged that he did not understand the means by which
homeopathic treatment achieved the results its backers claimed for it.
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd 2006, All Rights Reserved.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath
Well Within & Earth Mysteries & Sacred Site Tours (worldwide)
Vaccination Information & Choice Network
http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm
http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/homeo.htm
homeopathycures@tesco.net
ONLINE Introduction to Homeopathy Classes
ONLINE Introduction to Vaccine Dangers Classes
Voicemail US 530-740-0561 UK phone from US 011-44-1874-624-936
category..............
Like everything is on earth to 'compliment' the all powerful, end all and
be all of allopathy
Sheri
http://www.express.co.uk/news.html?sku= ... 7374265-H3
Complementary therapists hit back
23/05/06
Supporters of complementary therapies said that a campaign urging the NHS
to reject the treatments in favour of those "based on solid evidence" was
frustrating and amounts to "medical apartheid".
A group of British scientists has written to NHS Trusts recommending they
reject funding for "unproven or disproved treatments" and use available
funds for treatments proven to be effective, it has been reported.
Describing homeopathy as "an implausible treatment for which over a dozen
systematic reviews have failed to produce convincing evidence of
effectiveness", the letter was said to have been organised by Michael Baum,
emeritus professor of surgery at University College London and 12 other
scientists.
Further signatories include Nobel Prize-winner Sir James Black and Sir
Keith Peters, president of the Academy of Medical Science, the Times reported.
Prof Baum told BBC Radio 4: "I'm all in favour of treatments that make
people better but there is the issue of evidence.
"How do we know that what we are witnessing is a real effect or a placebo?
If the placebo is non-toxic and cheap, it doesn't matter.
"My concern is the issue of opportunity cost. If the NHS is spending good
money on placebos at the cost of not providing effective medicines, then it
does matter.
"The UCL Hospital Trust has spent £20 million on refurbishing the Royal
Homeopathic Hospital. If that sum of money was spent on making available
Herceptin and aromatase inhibitors, then it could be saving in my own
health district 600 lives a year."
Dr Peter Fisher, clinical director of the Royal Homeopathic Hospital, told
the programme: "I think what this suggestion amounts to is a form of
medical apartheid: any therapy which can't trace its origins to what is
called the biochemical model should be excluded from the NHS."
Dr Fisher acknowledged that he did not understand the means by which
homeopathic treatment achieved the results its backers claimed for it.
Copyright (c) Press Association Ltd 2006, All Rights Reserved.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Sheri Nakken, R.N., MA, Hahnemannian Homeopath
Well Within & Earth Mysteries & Sacred Site Tours (worldwide)
Vaccination Information & Choice Network
http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/vaccine.htm
http://www.nccn.net/~wwithin/homeo.htm
homeopathycures@tesco.net
ONLINE Introduction to Homeopathy Classes
ONLINE Introduction to Vaccine Dangers Classes
Voicemail US 530-740-0561 UK phone from US 011-44-1874-624-936