Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

News

BMA meeting: BMA representatives vote to ban homoeopathy from the NHS

BMJ 2010; 340 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.c3513 (Published 30 June 2010) Cite this as: BMJ 2010;340:c3513

Rapid Response:

Re: Physician, Heal Thyself.

Thanks for the offer, Noel, but may I politely decline your offer. I
have plenty of opportunity to meet with homoeopaths, and other alternative
practitioners much closer to home. Discussions with these believers have
been less useful than with the local vicar or priest - all well-meaning
and as concerned for my soul, but no minds get changed.

For me, the matter of whether homoeopathy or any other medicine
works, is decided by the Science, which is plain as day - good RCTs
repeatedly show that Homoeopathy is as effective as placebo.

There is nothing to squabble about - just as soon as a quality,
sizeable RCT shows a medicine works, then the NHS should ask NICE to
economically appraise it. Meantime, my placebos are just that.

Competing interests:
None declared

Competing interests: No competing interests

22 July 2010
L Sam Lewis
GP Trainer
Surgery, Newport, Pembrokeshire, SA42 0TJ