Some practitioners also claim that homeopathy can prevent malaria or other diseases. There is no evidence to support this and no scientifically plausible way that homeopathy can prevent diseases.
NICE currently does not recommend that homeopathy should be used in the treatment of any health condition. There is no legal regulation of homeopathic practitioners in the UK.
This means that anyone can practise as a homeopath, even if they have no qualifications or experience. Voluntary regulation aims to protect patient safety, but it does not mean that there is scientific evidence that a treatment is effective. Homeopathic remedies are generally safe and the risk of a serious adverse side effect arising from taking these remedies is thought to be small.
Some homeopathic remedies may contain substances that are not safe, or that interfere with the action of other medicines. You should talk to your GP before stopping any treatment prescribed by a doctor or avoiding procedures such as vaccination in favour of homeopathy. There have been several reviews of the scientific evidence on the effectiveness of homeopathy.
The House of Commons Science and Technology Committee said there is no evidence that homeopathy is effective as a treatment for any health condition.
There is no evidence for the idea that substances that can induce certain symptoms can also help to treat them. There is no evidence for the idea that diluting and shaking substances in water can turn those substances into medicines. The ideas that underpin homeopathy are not accepted by mainstream science, and are not consistent with long-accepted principles on the way that the physical world works. The Committee's report on homeopathy said the "like cures like" principle is "theoretically weak", and that this is the "settled view of medical science".
It is of note, for example, that many homeopathic remedies are diluted to such an extent that there is unlikely to be a single molecule of the original substance remaining in the final remedy. In cases such as these, homeopathic remedies consist of nothing but water. Some homeopaths believe that, due to the succussion process, the original substance leaves an "imprint" of itself on the water.
But there is no known mechanism by which this can occur. The report said: "We consider the notion that ultra-dilutions can maintain an imprint of substances previously dissolved in them to be scientifically implausible. Some people who use homeopathy may see an improvement in their health condition due to a phenomenon known as the placebo effect.
However, the way money flows around the health service makes it hard to work out exactly how much is spent across these sites. For example, patients receiving fertility treatment or being given support for pain or anxiety may get referred to these centres, but are not necessarily recorded as receiving homeopathic care. Nick chose four questions and we asked you to pick your favourite, which came from Andrew Toppleman, a year-old finance worker.
His question was by far the most popular of the four that Nick selected. In total, 3, people chose a question and Andrew's came first after being selected by 1, people. Andrew asked: "Why are effective drugs denied to people on the basis of cost while millions are wasted on homeopathy?
The NHS also funds homeopathic remedies through prescriptions, but that doesn't amount to much in monetary terms. I put that figure to the British Homeopathic Association and they agreed it was likely to be in that ballpark.
It means less than 0. It is a tiny fraction - a "drop in the ocean" says the association - albeit enough to pay for an extra nurses or 50 consultants. Source: British Homeopathic Association. So why does the NHS fund it, given it doesn't even seem to believe it works? To understand that we need to go back to the start of the NHS. Homeopathy has been used since the s and by the time the health service was created in there were five homeopathic hospitals - the four mentioned above plus another in Tunbridge Wells in Kent which closed in Unlike now, there was not such a vociferous campaign against its use and so homeopathic treatments were brought under the NHS umbrella, where they have remained ever since.
A subsequent legal challenge against the decision brought by the British Homeopathic Association was thrown out at the High Court. In a statement, PCIM said it would continue to offer medical homeopathy for paying patients and was looking at ways to improve access for treatment.
The CCG said it consulted local people, clinicians, patient groups and providers of homeopathic treatments and considered national guidelines and clinical evidence before rubberstamping the plans. Homeopathy is one of several services that the CCG has reviewed in a bid to save cash, including over the counter medicines, breast reconstruction after cancer, cosmetic surgery, liver disease and sleep apnoea.
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