The National Healthcare Service(NHS) will continue to fund homeopathy.  The Commons Science and Technology Committee claimed that trials in homeopathy show that they are no better than a placebo.  They claim that the NHS is funding tax payer money for a sugar pill.

The British Medical Association backed the committees report.  They say all homeopathy referrals should be removed from the NHS.  Homeopathy medicines should not be sold as medicine on pharmacy shelves. The BMA voted on the issue of homeopathy at their last conference.  Most doctors voted against in favor of supporting homeopathy.  However, some doctors thought homeopathy was a good alternative for some patients.  They said many medicines used today are unproven.  It would be unfair to prescribe unproven medicines and not prescribe homeopathic medicines.     

The UK Health minister has said patients should have the choice to choose the treatment that they feel is appropriate for them. Homeopathy does not pose a risk to patients.    

This system of medicine has been on the NHS since 1948.  There are four homeopathic hospitals in the United Kingdom.  Patient satisfaction is quite high with this form of treatment. UK spends about 4 million pounds a year on homeopathy.  This is an extremely small amount of money in the NHS budget.  The NHS budget is more than a 100 billion pounds.

  Homeopathy in England was introduced by Dr. Quinn in the 1830s.  Since that time this form of alternative medicine has flourished in England.  Homeopathy has steadily grown in England and is funded by the National Healthcare System (NHS) of the UK. 

Homeopathy has always had an elite status in UK.  It is used by the royal familiy and other celebrities such as Paul McCarthney and Catherine Zeta Jones.  This form of alternative medicine has been under attack of late in England. 

Current homeopathic hospitals in the United Kingdom face closure due to an orchestrated campaign by leading doctors in the UK saying homeopathy is simply a placebo.  They point to many studies showing trials where homeopathic medicine is no better than a placebo.  The doctors are telling many doctors not to give out homeopathic referrals.  Without enough referrals, homeopathic hospitals will have to close.   Tunbridge homeopathic hospital has already scheduled to close due to lack of funding and referrals.  Some other hospitals are also facing cuts by the NHS and they are getting less referrals than in the past.

The media and other have pointed to Lancet trials showing homeopathy does not work.  However, these homeopathy trials have many issues with research bias and validity. BBC has done some experiments with homeopathic dilutions showing no effects between a water dilution and a homeopathic dilution.  There has not been in scientific evidence that this type of alternative medicine works.  

  The homeopathy users of the homeopathic hospitals seems to be quite satisified with their treatments. Even with all the lack of funding from the NHS, fewer doctors writing referrals and the bad media press, homeopathy in England still seems to be growing.  The public comes in growing numbers to this type of alternative medicine. In 2007, the UK market is estimated to be worth 38 million pounds.  In 2012, the market is going to reach 46 million pounds.

  Is all the media coverage really bad for homeopathy? Do  people  feel that more homeopathic hospitals will close in England?  Why have doctors  targeting Homeopathy now even though it has been in England since  the 1830s?  Do  doctors in England view homeopathy as a threat? 

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