Letter to Secretary of State for Health re homeopathy

I am seriously concerned about the concerted campaign against homeopathy, herbal medicine, vitamins and mineral supplements. The recent Committee of Science and Technology looked at the evidence for homeopathy and completely missed the point.

Not everything in life can be defined in a scientific way. If I become more healthy because I go to live by the sea, is there any scientific proof. What I really think the government should do before closing down homeopathic hospitals is speak to patients, speak to people who have found that homeopathy has helped them, their children, their partners.

Complementary medicine is not instantly measurable, but it has two very significant advantages – it helps with the entire wellbeing of a person, not just a physical problem; and it can prevent people getting worse, thus saving the NHS huge amounts of money.

I honestly believe that the scientists, doctors, and MPs who are so incredibly against homeopathy and other disciplines have no understanding of it. They haven’t really looked into homeopathy or herbal medicine to see why the public is so in favour of them. They need to have more understanding, to experience it, instead of continually knocking it.

I am also seriously concerned that the panels put forward to the Science & Technology Committee were heavily biased (3 to 2) against homeopathy, with the most avid detractors being put on each panel. Those who are so opposed have their minds made up and nothing short of a miracle would persuade them. One member of the committee asked if there was perhaps something that we didn’t understand yet, but we would in future. Two of the panellists said that this was definitely not true. I have to ask how could they possibly know? People used to believe that the earth was flat, and they were wrong.

There are far too many unexplained things in the universe that cannot be proven scientifically. For instance, how do you quantify emotions such as being in love? Homeopathy is about the whole person, taking into account their emotional constitution as well as their personality and their symptoms.

I honestly believe that a health system that encompassed all these progressive therapies would be far more successful in preventing illness. Look at Germany and France – often referred to in the homeopathy trial. Both those countries incorporate homeopathy and herbal medicine into their health service, with doctors prescribing them alongside prescription drugs.

I am seriously concerned that this argument has more to do with big business than the health of our nation. Homeopathy accounts for 0.004 per cent of the NHS budget – is it really worth derailing it, when so many people benefit?

To read more about complementary medicine go to Frances' website: www.healthysoul.co.uk