House of Commons debate on CAM therapies 14 October 2009

Follow this link to read the latest debate on Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the House of Commons.

David Tredinnick (Bosworth, Conservative) asks some questions of Gillian Merron (Minister of State (Public Health), Department of Health; Lincoln, Labour.

Below is an excerpt of the parts that are relevant to homeopathy:

"Homeopathy has had a long tradition in the health service; it was actually used by Aneurin Bevan—all those years ago—who helped to put it in the health service. However, homeopathy has been under attack, despite the new Royal London Homeopathic hospital. The hospital and those who support homeopathy have faced difficult times, not least the attacks by the so-called scientific establishment and a letter that purported to come from the NHS—it had the NHS logo on it—in May 2007 which was signed by many retired professors of medicine. That letter should never have been sent out under the NHS letterhead.
Attacks have also been made on the efficacy of homeopathy. A letter was sent to the World Health Organisation warning against the use of homeopathy, but it ignored the very clear randomised, double-blind trials that proved that it is effective in the particular area of childhood diarrhoea on which it was criticised. Will the Government therefore be robust in their support for homeopathy and consider what can be done so that it is used more effectively in the health service?"

Click on the link to see the whole debate and the answers from Gillian Merron