Homeopathy is recognised as a safe, inexpensive and effective form of treatment against illness, and is used by literally millions of people worldwide. Yet, in the UK, steps are being taken to reduce access to this form of therapy.

A handful of high-profile medics are waging a fierce, well-orchestrated campaign against homeopathy and other complementary therapies (See 'Opponents of Reason Exposed', FM Mar 2008 p16), and their assault is gaining momentum.

More than a quarter of PCTs have stopped or cut funding for homeopathic services, and The Royal London Homeopathic Hospital – the country's largest homeopathic centre – recently confirmed that it has lost eight contracts in a year, and referrals are down by 20%.


Unless patients stand up for their right to choose, homeopathy could soon be seriously marginalised.
The 'Homeopathy Worked For Me' website offers key facts about homeopathy, explains what is happening, and provides an opportunity for those who have been helped by homeopathy to lend their support to the cause by signing an on-line 'homeopathy worked for me' declaration.
www.homeopathyworkedforme.org

Recent surveys have estimated that around one in five Britons use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) at some time, and that increasing numbers of people are now seeking to train in these therapies.

In spite of patient enthusiasm for CAM, the campaign against it (see
'Opponents of Reason Exposed', FM Mar 2008 p16) has reached such a pitch that the controllers of BBCHealth (www.bbc.co.uk/health) – the health section on one of the most accessed websites in the world – decided recently to end its 15 years of coverage by removing the CAM section!

If you believe that information pages on CAM should be returned to BBCi, you can express your views using their online comment form at https://www.bbc.co.uk/feedback/
So far, they have apparently had very few letters of support for CAM, amongst the deluge of critical comment.

Click here for a very useful guide to the most commonly used complementary therapies

Click here for more research

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First Published July 2008

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