Another UK Health Service Agency
Ends Homeopathy Funding
Stephen Barrett, M.D.
The Board of West Kent Primary Care Trust (PCT) has decided to stop funding homeopathic consultations and treatments. The decision came after a public consultation which started in April. Before reaching its conclusion, the Board considered clinical effectiveness, population needs, value for money, impact on other services and public demand. In a news release, PCT's medical director Dr James Thallon said:
We appreciate that some people report finding homeopathy beneficial, and they will be disappointed by this decision. But ultimately it is the clear duty of PCTs to make best use of public money by commissioning clinically cost-effective care. There is not enough evidence of clinical effectiveness for us to continue to commission homeopathy.” [1]
The West Kent PCT, which is part of the UK's National Health Service (NHS), provides and commissions care for 674,000 residents. Its most recent budget is £747m, the Trust provides and commissions health care for its 674,000 local residents. Its providers include 405 general practitioners working in 104 practices, 102 dentists, 104 pharmacies, 76 opticians, 6 community hospitals, and 6 units that provide care for emergencies and/or minor injuries [2]. In 2006, the Trust paid £192,682 for homeopathy appointments for 755 patients. Referrals for homeopathic treatment are usually at the patient's request.
Early in 2007, the West Kent PCT commissioned a review of published studies of homeopathy. The reviewers concluded that although there were some positive trends, there was insufficient evidence of effectiveness and very little evidence about cost-effectiveness [3]. The PCT determined that if an Independent Panel were set up to authorize homeopathic treatment only for conditions where there are some positive research trends, referrals might reduce by half to two thirds [4]. In April 2007, the Trust began a "public consultation" in which providers and the general public were asked whether the NHS should continue to pay for homeopathy. During the process:
- The West Kent PCT held five public meetings, one each in Gravesend and Maidstone, and three in Tunbridge Wells, where the Homeopathic Hospital is based. A total of 48 members of the public attended the meetings.
- Consultation documents were sent to a randomly selected sample of 1,000 patients registered with West Kent GPs. Sixty-six responded—most saying they felt homeopathy should not be a priority for funding.
- Eighty percent of general practitioners who responded to the consultation said that the NHS should not fund homeopathy s because it is unproven and the PCT should focus on treatments that make the best use of the limited amount of money it has. They suggested that about half the people they refer for homeopathy are also getting other specialist care for the same condition.
- The PCT received 22 letters and emails, 197 feedback forms, and petitions prepared by a small group of homeopathic supporters called the Campaign to Save the Homeopathic Hospital (CaSHH)
Most homeopathic care in West Kent is delivered at Tunbridge Wells Homeopathic Hospital, which supporters have predicted will close after government funding stops. Current patients will be permitted to finish their treatment over the next six months, but the PCT will not pay for further homeopathic consultations or treatments after March 2008. The London Times has reported that at least 86 of the 147 trusts have either stopped sending patients to the the UK's four homoeopathic hospitals, or are introducing strict measures to limit referrals. More than 20 have taken action since receiving a letter from prominent scientists who said that “unproven or disproved treatments” such as homeopathy and reflexology should not be available free to patients [5-7].
References
- West Kent PCT ends funding for homeopathy. News release, Sept 28, 2007.
- About us. West Kent PCT Web site, accessed October 12, 2007.
- Homeopathic services. Undated NHS report.
- Should the NHS pay for homeopathy? Have your say. West Kent Primary Care Trust, April 2007.
- Henderson M. Hard-up NHS trusts cut back on unproven homoeopathy treatment. London Times, May 23, 007.
- Anderson J. Doctors renew drive to ban NHS homeopathy. The Guardian, May 23, 2007]
- Baum B and others. An open letter: Use of 'alternative' medicine in the NHS. May 2006.
This article was posted on October 12, 2007.