Doctor: Anti-homeopathy campaign being waged
Friday, 16 Nov 2007 13:13
Publications like the Lancet are waging a "deliberate campaign" against homeopathy, it has been claimed.
Dr Bob Leckridge, former president of the Faculty of Homeopathy, accused anti-homeopathy activists of a concerted effort to remove the therapy from the NHS.
"Sadly it's not fair play because you only need to go to certain sites... blogs... and read the campaigners jumping up and down in glee like playground bullies when Tunbridge Wells' patients lose their homeopathic service," he said on this morning's Today programme.
"In fact the campaign involves going along to public meetings, infiltrating them not with local people, and attempting to persuade PCTs to not purchase homeopathy. It's not a level playing field, it's not open, it's not clear and it's quite devious."
Dr Leckridge reiterated the traditional argument of homeopaths that the therapy's focus on the individual rather than the illness provides a service the NHS cannot.
"Homeopathy in the NHS meets a need that's not been met in any other area of the National Health Service," he added.
"Two-thirds of the patients who come to homeopathic hospitals on the NHS say the treatment relieves their symptoms. What are you going to do with patients who the so-called evidence based treatments have failed? You have to offer them something.
"I think our health service is going to be a better health service if you have diversity. If you go for a one-size-fits-all approach and say everybody has to take a drug, then in fact we're not going to meet the needs of the patients who are not being helped by the drugs which don't help them."
