NHS ‘alternative therapy’ blast
A HEALTH board has been criticised for spending almost £70,000-a-year on a specialist to provide patients with an alternative therapy.
NHS Tayside – cutting 500 jobs in the next year in a £30million economy drive – has advertised for a “specialty doctor in homeopathy,” who is required to hold only two sessions a week.
The board insists the £68,000-a-year homeopathic specialist, based in Dundee, will bring “real benefits” to people who are recovering from illnesses such as cancer.
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But critics say that the treatment, using minerals and herbs diluted in water as remedies, is not scientifically proven to work, and insist it should not be paid for from the public purse.
A British Medical Association Scotland spokesman said: “The BMA’s recently adopted policy states the Association believes there should be no further NHS funding for homeopathy.
“The basis for this is that homeopathic remedies don’t have a scientific evidence base to support their use.
“The BMA believes limited and scarce NHS resources should only be used to support medicines and treatment shown to be effective.”
Matthew Sinclair of the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: “It’s absolutely shocking that NHS Trusts are wasting huge amounts of money funding homeopathy and other treatments when there isn’t robust evidence of their effectiveness.”
Labour MP Tom Harris said: “This shouldn’t be funded through the NHS when there are people who are unable to get proven, effective drugs deemed too expensive.”
The NHS has four dedicated homeopathic hospitals in the UK, including the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital.
An NHS Tayside spokeswoman said homeopathy had been provided in the region for many years, adding: “It is invaluable to many patients referred to the clinic.”
A Scottish Government spokeswoman said spending on homeopathy was a matter for individual health boards.
Homeopathy, dismissed as “witchcraft” by a senior BMA official earlier this year, is advocated by Prince Charles, who has used homeopathic remedies.
