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Homeopathic GPs
Over 400 GPs use homeopathy in their everyday practice
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Contact the British Homeopathic Association on 01582 408675 for patient stories
NHS referrals
The NHS spends approximately £4 million a year on homeopathy.
The four NHS homeopathic hospitals have been part of the NHS since it began in 1948. They currently treat 55,000 patients per year who are referred by GPs, PCTs and NHS specialists.
Royal London Homeopathic Hospital
The Royal London Homeopathic Hospital (RLHH) is over-performing on its contract: the hospital is ahead of its target for numbers of new and follow-up patients set by the University College London Hospitals Trust. 33,000 NHS patients passed through the RLHH doors in 2007-8.
Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital
The Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital (GHH) has had stable appointments over the last five years, treating 9,000 patients per year.
Its new chronic fatigue syndrome service, commissioned by NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, will attract more patients with this difficult illness, which homeopathy is known to help significantly.
Bristol Homeopathic Hospital
At Bristol Homeopathic Hospital (BHH), referrals to homeopathy have increased in recent months and are unchanged compared to a year ago, standing at 5,000 per year.
New referrals come mainly from oncologists referring patients suffering side effects from cancer treatments, for which there is a good evidence base.
Liverpool Department of Homeopathic Medicine
The Liverpool Regional Department of Homeopathic Medicine treats 7,000 patients a year.
GPs and homeopathy
In the UK there are over 400 GPs practising homeopathy who are regulated by the GMC and are members of the Faculty of Homeopathy. They treat around 200,000 NHS patients per year with homeopathy. This situation has not perceptibly changed over the last two to three years.
GPs are able to refer NHS patients to qualified and regulated homeopaths and most private health insurance companies and cash-plans consider homeopathic treatment a good investment.
70% of GPs feel CAM should be freely available on the NHS and 42% of Primary Care Trusts already dedicate some money to complementary medicine. 45% of GPs consider homeopathy useful. 60% of the doctors who use homeopathy do so because of good experience of homeopathy as effective treatment and anxiety about hazards of conventional treatment.1
Tunbridge Wells Homeopathic Hospital
The homeopathic hospital in Tunbridge Wells was receiving NHS referrals up until the end of March 2009, when contracts ceased. 500 NHS patients who benefitted from homeopathic treatment at the hospital have been adversely affected by the decision. At an estimated cost of £400 per patient, this was a cheap service for chronically ill patients.
The situation at Tunbridge Wells is more complicated than the loss of a small homeopathic service and involves widespread cuts to many local services largely due to a financial crisis within Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. This was a regional decision with no implications for the other four NHS homeopathic hospitals, where by contrast, referrals are either stable or growing.
References:
1. Halvorsen R. Alternative therapies in the practice. The General Practitioner magazine. Feb 2005