Homeopathy and Natural Medical Therapies: a health project in Northern Ireland

They didn't want us to know just how good homeopathy, and other natural health treatments, were 15 years ago. And they still don't!

“I wrote this blog in 2010. The project was successful, and reported their success in 2008; but the Conventional Medical Establishment wasn’t interested, and ignored it”. Check it out in this Parliamentary report.

There was a health project undertaken in Northern Ireland during 2007 and 2008 that allowed GPs to refer patients for a range of CAM (complementary and alternative) treatments, including homeopathy. It was an unmitigated success!

* There was a reduction in expenditure on drugs
62% reported suffering less pain, and 55% reported taking less painkillers. Patients using medication reduced from 75% to 61% after treatment.
* There was an alleviation of GP and hospital workload
50% of GPs said the scheme had reduced their workload, and used secondary care services less; and 17% reported a financial saving for their practice.
* There were savings accruing from reduced sickness absence

Those patients receiving homeopathic treatment reported an average 54% improvement in their health and wellbeing - more than any other CAM therapy used in the project. Referring GPs confirmed these figures.

The project demonstrated that patients liked it, that doctors liked it, and with a significant reduction in expenditure, the Department of Health should have liked it too. Indeed, so positive were the outcomes, the project could and should have been extended in both time, and in coverage.

The fact that it was not demonstrates the controlling power of the Big Pharma companies, and the monopolistic arrangements within the conventional medical establishment, that dominates the National Health Service in the UK.

Indeed, the whole episode demonstrates that health provision is dominated by corporate profit rather patient health. And this is why it is so difficult for people to get access to homeopathy on the NHS.

The full report on this highly successful project is now gathering dust on some remote shelves in the Department of Health; indeed, it appears to have disappeared from their wbsite. However, the Parliamentary summary is still available on the internet, here.