Bath and North East Somerset council is withdrawing its funding for GP patient referrals to Bristol Homeopathic Hospital. Although they did this illegally without producing a public consultation document, for the hospital, losing half of its funding in this way means that it will not be able to continue. The doctors are not allowed to make any comments or lobby for their own service but patients and the Friends of the hospital certainly can do. The proposed Health Care Reforms could affect patient access to homeopathic treatment on the NHS and this will have further reaching effects than just the south-west. All health services are going through a major change under current health reforms and we need to ensure that homeopathy provision remains integrated into the new health care funding.

Anyone with the time and inclination to contact the PCT in Bath and North East Somerset by letter or email or phone call is asked to highlight the following points:

1) We want to have the option of referral to Bristol Homeopathic Hospital for treatment. This applies to everyone wherever you live  – because after the health care reforms all areas can commission the service.

2) Providing homeopathic treatment :
* produces positive patient outcomes clinically
* has a high level of patient satisfaction – which is this particular government’s criteria when they promise patient choice
* and is very cost effective as it relieves spending in other areas particularly long term medications in chronic conditions.

You can also write to your Conservative and LibDem MPs, to make sure that they know that patients favour this service, as homeopathic treatment has a very positive outcome in terms of patient satisfaction. The MPs pass this to the Health Minister.

Many thanks.