Media

Evidence check

Health Minister Mike O'Brien told the Science and Technology select committee that cutting funding for homeopathy was not justified.

Members tell Commons enquiry there is evidence for homeopathy

27 November 2009

President of the Faculty of Homeopathy Sara Eames appeared on BBC Breakfast news this morning to talk about the clinical evidence in homeopathy.

This follows an evidence session that took place for the House of Commons Science and Technology select committee on Wednesday 25 November. Robert Mathie, Research Development Advisor for the British Homeopathic Association and Peter Fisher, Clinical Director of the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital gave oral evidence detailing the positive clinical trials in homeopathy and backing the continued provision of homeopathy in the NHS.

Robert comments: "A key point that the select committee has perhaps not fully taken on board is that the total number of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in homeopathy is minuscule, especially when compared with research activity in most areas of conventional medicine. The fact that there are just 87 placebo-controlled (or 'efficacy') trials of homeopathic medicines in the total scientific literature, but that 37 of them have reported positive findings, is something that must be properly recognised. That this evidence exists seems to have escaped the notice of some commentators.

"The above trials are more specific in nature than those that study the effectiveness of homeopathy as a whole system of treatment. These are termed 'pragmatic trials', and they compare results in patients receiving individualised homeopathy with those getting usual medical care or those on a waiting-list. There are only 7 such homeopathy trials in the literature; it happens that 3 of them are positive. It is obvious that much more of this type of pragmatic research is required, for it connects with the 'real world' of homeopathic treatment."

Read the Faculty of Homeopathy's submission to the committee

Read the BHA's submission to the committee

Read Peter Fisher's submission to the committee