Are there NHS homeopathy hospitals

[DrS]

I'm beset by an idiot who is complaining about the BMA and doctors in their BMA conference wanting to withdraw NHS funding for homeopathy. (BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/10449430.stm)) His main gripe is that this will involve the closure of what he says are "5 NHS homeopathy hospitals due to close because the medical council suddenly can´t see the evidence of healing ? How come they were ever opened up ? On what grounds ?"

I was about to argue with him, but googled first, only to find the following:

There are four NHS homeopathic hospitals: Bristol, Glasgow, Liverpool and London. Link (http://www.britishhomeopathic.org/getting_treatment/homeopathy_in_the_nhs/)

OK he got the number wrong, but are there really homeopathy hospitals? NHS ones?? :undecided:

[chaggle]

I'm beset by an idiot who is complaining about the BMA and doctors in their BMA conference wanting to withdraw NHS funding for homeopathy. (BBC (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/10449430.stm)) His main gripe is that this will involve the closure of what he says are "5 NHS homeopathy hospitals due to close because the medical council suddenly can´t see the evidence of healing ? How come they were ever opened up ? On what grounds ?"

I was about to argue with him, but googled first, only to find the following:


OK he got the number wrong, but are there really homeopathy hospitals? NHS ones?? :undecided:


Sadly yes. Details to follow after dinner>:-)

[DrS]

What? He's for real? :'(

[Pebble]

I'm afraid we have the sainted Bevan to thank for this anomaly - on the plus side evidence based medicine was in its infancy then, but with all its royal patronage and rich list support this particular blot on the NHS has never been excised.


http://hubpages.com/hub/Homeopathy-United-Kingdom-National-Health-Service-NHS-Believes-in-Choices-for-Medical-Care


THE HISTORY OF BRISTOL HOSPITAL: Homeopathic hospitals became part of the NHS in 1948. Aneurin Bevan, the minister of health who formed the NHS, made a commitment that "homeopathic institutions will be enabled to provide their own form of treatment and that the continuity of the characteristics of those institutions will be maintained".

[DrS]

Thanks guys. It's unbloodybelievable. >:-)

[bindeweede]

Thanks guys. It's unbloodybelievable. >:-)

I hope I am not duplicating here, but I came across a relevant article. I rather liked this...


The most outspoken supporter of the motion, Dr Tom Dolphin, had earlier compared homeopathy to witchcraft, but then apologised to witches on the grounds that this was unfair. Homeopathy, he said, was "pernicious nonsense that feeds into a rising wave of irrationality which threatens to overwhelm the hard-won gains of the Enlightenment and the scientific method".

http://www.meassociation.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1334:bmc-conference-recommends-no-more-taxpayer-support-for-homeopathy&catid=30:news&Itemid=161

[Admin]

I would like to know just how big these supposed 'hospitals' are. I think the one in London is mainly dedicated to homeopathy in its own right (but only treats patients as out patients), but are the others more like units within larger hospitals?

I started looking into this a few years ago but there's surprisingly little info available on these 'hospitals'.

Anyway, I think they are nothing more than a historical relic. They've all been in existence for 100+ years and as Pebble says, they were assimilated into the NHS in 1948 due to influential support.

[chaggle]

I draw your attention to this thread (http://www.ukskeptics.com/forum/showthread.php/5381-Nadia-Sawalha-endorses-homeopathy-and-non-vaccination?highlight=bristol)

It's on its last legs...

[Admin]

This is the thread that came to my memory: http://www.ukskeptics.com/forum/showthread.php/71-Homeopathic-hospitals-value-for-money

It was something I was interested in finding out about but never got any further.

[DrS]

Thanks all. That was a good read BW. O0

I'm embarrassed to have missed the info in the two threads, particularly John's. Damn the search facility ... :-X

I saw yours, Chaggle, and noted the millions spent, but missed the snippet about the 4 hospitals. :-[

[Croydon Bob]

I recall it being said by Edzard Ernst at a Skeptics in the Pub meeting that the Homeopathic Hospital in Munich that he worked in mainly did real medicine, and that the UK ones were similar. If a patient gets worse they give them real medicine and/or transfer them to a real hospital, it's not like the Homeopathic A&E sketch that we love linking to.