Government to consult on 'blacklisting' homeopathy
Homeopathy is a complementary or alternative medicine that is based upon the idea that 'like cures like'.
Homeopathic treatments could be 'blacklisted', meaning they will no longer be available through the NHS. The Department of Health has confirmed it plans to run a consultation on the proposals.
Minister for life sciences George Freeman said in a statement: "With rising health demands we have a duty to make sure we spend NHS funds on the most effective treatments.
"We are currently considering whether or not homeopathic products should continue to be available through NHS prescriptions. We expect to consult on proposals in due course."
Homeopathy is a complementary or alternative medicine that is based upon the idea that 'like cures like'. That is, the principle that a substance causing certain symptoms can also help to remove those symptoms.
Practitioners claim that a highly diluted version of an illness-causing substance can have healing properties.
But critics say the treatments offer nothing more than a 'placebo effect'.
In fact, the NHS itself states: 'There has been extensive investigation of the effectiveness of homeopathy. There is no good-quality evidence that homeopathy is effective as a treatment for any health condition.'
However, there are currently several NHS homeopathic hospitals and some GP practices offering these treatments in the UK.
The Good Thinking Society welcomed the news of a future consultation. Its founder, Simon Singh, said: "Given the finite resources of the NHS, any spending on homeopathy is utterly unjustifiable, when the money spent on these disproven remedies can be far better spent on treatments that offer real benefits to patients.
"Homeopathic remedies have been thoroughly demonstrated to be nothing more than placebos."
The organisation recently threatened to bring a judicial review against the Department of Health, challenging its decision not to blacklist homeopathic treatments.
Commenting on the news, the Faculty of Homeopathy said it was disappointed by the planned consultation.
"It’s disappointing that at a time when the NHS is facing a funding crisis the Department of Health (DH) is embarking on a costly consultation that could prevent highly skilled clinicians prescribing a course of treatment that benefits thousands of patients each year," said the faculty's president, Dr Helen Beaumont.
"If the DH were serious about saving money surely it should be looking at SSRIs, prescribed for mild to moderate depression in vast quantities at considerable cost to the NHS, but which studies have found to be ineffective for those conditions?"
Veterinary practices are being urged to help owners safely dispose of any unused and expired pet medicines - not just antibiotics - during November's Animal Medicines Amnesty. 
