On 24th February 2010, H:MC21 (Homeopathy: Medicine for the 21st Century) will be lobbying Parliament. The Commons Science and Technology Committee has recently been preparing a report on the evidence for homeopathy, and in doing so they took oral evidence from self-proclaimed ‘experts’ who oppose homeopathy, but ignored the tens of thousands of people who use it.

In response to this report H:MC21 will be handing in a petition in the form of a declaration “Homeopathy Worked for Me”, signed by approximately 25,000 people, to highlight why they consider that homeopathy can play an important role in healthcare in this country, including in the NHS.

If you would like further information about the campaign and about homeopathy before the lobby, please look at H:MC21’s websites at www.hmc21.org and www.homeopathyworkedforme.org. Of particular interest are:

Halloween Science
This is a detailed critique of Ernst and Singh’s Trick or Treatment, and shows that it is anything but scientific.
It is available at: <http://www.hmc21.org/#/halloween-science/4535659799>

Evidence to the Commons Committee
This shows that the evidence based medicine approach is seriously flawed as a basis for assessing homeopathy.

Report on Selected Evidence to the Commons Committee
This looks at the evidence given by Ben Goldacre, Edzard Ernst and Tracey Brown (of Sense About Science), and shows how they contradict each other and even themselves.

Both are available at: <http://www.hmc21.org/#/cstc-submission/4537525955>.

Pilot survey of PCTs
This survey suggests that there are no checks on whether those making decisions about the provision of homeopathy in the NHS are competent to assess the evidence.
It is available at: < http://www.hmc21.org/#/pct-survey/4535660289>

Dec 1, 2009: A wonderful day for British Homeopathy

Here follow the immortal words of Health Minister, Mike O’Brien: ‘We take the view that it is not our job to stop clinicians prescribing these medications if they feel they are appropriate.’ The Honorable Minister went on to say that cutting the (NHS) funding would be “illiberal” and “a denial of personal choice”. He also said there were a range of opinions amongst clinicians and scientists which could not be ignored.

This was after being grilled by the House of Commons Science and Technology Committee which comprised many people less than friendly to homeopathy such as Edzard Ernst, Ben Goldacre and Tracey Brown all of whom lambasted homeopathy in the hearing. But the Health minister hinted at the essential point: NHS homepathy is practised by trained doctors who have to take responsibility for what they do. That is the headline and the bottom line and the middle line and all the other lines in between. Mike O’Brien knew it and had the guts to say it in the face of massive negative publicity in the media. Bravo Minister!

Published in Pulse – 23 October 09

Dorset GP Dr Tim Robinson explains why he’s a firm believer in homeopathy in general practice.

I have been incorporating homeopathy into my general practice for almost 15 years.

I have found homeopathy effective as an alternative to conventional medicine for problems in all the systems: respiratory, digestive, skeletal, hormonal, skin and mental/emotional health. It is also extremely useful in situations in which conventional medicine is ineffective or non-existent such as bruising, recurrent cold sores, chilblains, leg cramps, glandular fever, growing pains, teething, infantile colic and children with bedwetting and sleep problems.

Incorporating homeopathy into my general practice has also reduced my referral rate to secondary care, as well as saved my drug budget. Along with these advantages I believe that I have benefited through dealing with my heart-sink patients more effectively. Homeopathy has enhanced my communication skills and resulted in a greater ability to connect with my patients.

The provision of a homeopathic service in routine general practice is very straightforward. As with all consultations the patient presents their particular problem or set of symptoms from which I make a diagnosis and decide upon a management plan for the case. If I consider homeopathic treatment is an appropriate, safe and valid alternative I offer my patient the choice at that point.

Continue reading Why Homeopathy Works in my Practice →

Homeopathy Remedies Shown to Be Effective for Moderate to Severe Depression

Posted on August 28, 2009 by homeopathyresource
A study in Brazil published in an Oxford Journal has shown homeopathy to be effective for depression.

Homeopaths world wide use homeopathy to treat individuals with severe to moderate depression. The active control in the study was fluoxetine- Prozac and using homeopathy was as good as or better in the treatment of depression using standard ratings.

Continue reading Homeopathy Effective in Moderate to Severe Depression →

The Society of Homeopaths, the UK’s largest body of registered homeopaths, is concerned to learn, in an online article by the BBC (“WHO warns against homeopathy use’), that the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued caution against the use of homeopathy for childhood diarrhoea following a letter by the charity Sense About Science.

However, both the BBC and WHO have failed to acknowledge the evidence base for the use of homeopathy in the treatment of childhood diarrhoea in which, using randomised, double-blinded trials, the results were significant versus placebo(1). Chief Executive, Paula Ross says, “this is just another poorly wrapped attempt to discredit homeopathy by Sense About Science. The irony is that in their efforts to promote evidence in medicine, they have failed to do their own homework. There is a strong and growing evidence base for homeopathy and most notably, this also includes childhood diarrhoea” ————– (1)

Diarrhoea in children Treatment of acute childhood diarrhoea in NicaraguaThis trial involved 81 children aged from 6 months to 5 years in a randomised, double-blind trial of intravenous fluids plus placebo versus intravenous fluids plus homeopathic remedy individualised to the patient. The treatment group had a statistically significant decrease in duration of diarrhoea.Jacobs J. Treatment of acute childhood diarrhoea with homeopathic medicine: a randomized clinical trial in Nicaragua. Pediatrics 1994; 93: 719-725.

Treatment of acute childhood diarrhoea, repeated in NepalIn a replication of a trial carried out in Nicaragua in 1994, 116 Nepalese children aged 6 months to 5 years suffering from diarrhoea were given an individualised homoeopathic medicine or placebo. Treatment by homoeopathy showed a significant improvement in the condition in comparison to placebo.Jacobs J., Jimenez M., Malthouse S., Chapman E., Crothers D., Masuk M., Jonas W.B., Acute Childhood Diarrhoea- A Replication., Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 6, 2000, 131-139.

A meta-analysis of childhood diarrhoea trialsThis meta-analysis of 242 children showed a highly significant result in the duration of childhood diarrhoea (P=0.008). It should be noted that the World Health Organisation consider childhood diarrhoea to be the number one public health problem today because of the millions of children who die every year from dehydration from diarrhoea.J. Jacobs, WB Jonas, M Jimenez-Perez, D Crothers, Homeopathy for Childhood Diarrhea: Combined Results and Meta-analysis from Three Randomized, Controlled Clinical Trials.