Camden New Journal - Health121307

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Camden New Journal - HEALTH by JAMIE WELHAM
Published: 13 December 2007

Protesters make their case against closure of the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital on November 26

Defenders of homoeopathy take on PCT

Consultation over the fate of controversial hospital will test patients’ views of the service

AN angry group of patients turned out in force to protest against the possible closure of the Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital.
More than 40 people swelled the meeting room at St Pancras Hospital to plead with health chiefs not to bow to financial pressure and close the hospital in Great Ormond Street.
Camden Primary Care Trust board members were forced to stray from their agenda to field more than a dozen questions from concerned patients over the future of the UCH- run hospital.
In the wake of other PCT’s scrapping funding for homoeopathic treatments, patients were reassured that a decision would not be rushed through and a full consultation would take place next year.
Homoeopathy is a controversial form of alternative medicine offered on the NHS at RLHH and other hospitals.
Patients swear by its healing properties, valuing the non-toxic treatment it offers – but the remedies have a number of high-profile critics who have dubbed it “crack-pot medicine” and “witchcraft”.
One former patient who is campaigning to keep the hospital open says closure would be unconstitutional. Anna Thorburn, who volunteers at Cross Roads Women’s Centre in Kentish Town said: “It would be an erosion of choice for patients. The hospital is a centre of excellence for homoeopathic care and this needs to be recognised.
“It has helped thousands of patients suffering from chronic disease whose conditions would be made worse by toxic medicine. For many if they stayed on medicine they would end up dead. To close it down would be criminal.”
Mrs Thorburn went on to say that the pharmaceutical industry was skewing the debate against homoeopathy. She said: “The pharmaceutical lobby is very powerful and homoeopathy is very vulnerable. They get so much publicity and it is easy for them to make their case. The fact is homoeopathy actually saves the NHS money and the sums needed to keep it open are small.”
Leading the case against homeopathy is UCH Professor Michael Baum, who has criticised the remedy for “hoodwinking” patients.
Professor Baum said: “Homoeopathy is utter nonsense and anyone who believes in it needs their head examined.
“The problem is that too few people know what it is – they think it’s some kind of herbal medicine.
“The fact is, it is a belief system set up 200 years ago which is well past its sell-by date. It may as well be witchcraft.”
“Homoeopathy is based on three principles: treat the symptoms of a disease rather than the disease itself; cure like with like; and, the greater the dilution of the ‘medicine’, the more potent the potion.
“It means treating common colds with pieces of onion dissolved in loads of water. It is absolutely ludicrous.
“People who use it need to realise they are being duped. I know it sounds patronising but I can make my grandchildren better by giving them a kiss and telling them everything will be all right. Homoeopathy is no different – it is a complete insult to our intelligence.”
“It is my passionate belief that complementary support should mean spiritual support and I think the RLHH should be turned into somewhere that can provide this this service – although the name should stay the same for historical reasons.
“It is this spiritual support from psychologists, masseurs, counsellors, art and music therapists that will make a real difference to patients’ lives.”
Camden PCT is putting together a consultation document which will be sent out to patients in the new year.

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