Doctors spark debate about alternative medicine in the NHS
Objections to the use of NHS money to fund “unproven or disproved” complementary and alternative medicine treatments have been raised in a letter written this week to NHS trust chief executives by a group of prominent UK doctors and scientists.
The letter expresses particular concerns over “the overt promotion
of homoeopathy” in publications such as “Complementary healthcare:
a guide for patients” from The Prince’s Foundation for Integrated
Health, and “The role of complementary and alternative medicine
in the NHS” commissioned by the Prince of Wales.
Michael Baum, emeritus professor of surgery, University College London,
who organised the correspondence, told The Journal that the promotion
of alternative medicines that lack scientific evidence is inappropriate
when many NHS patients are going without important life-saving treatments.
“Investment in research into alternative therapies is worthwhile,
but not in their promotion,” he said.
The Alliance for Natural Health’s executive and scientific director,
Robert Verkerk, responding to the letter, said: “Judicious adoption
of particular [complementary or alternative] therapies into mainstream
medicine would help increase the efficiency and safety of medical practice,
as well as reduce overall costs. These are inevitably important concerns
for the NHS.”
Raymond Tallis, emeritus professor of geriatric medicine, University
of Manchester, another signatory of the letter, rejected “the principle
and claim that there should be more spending on complementary medicines”. |
The
Pharmaceutical Journal
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