Some of Britain's leading doctors have urged NHS trusts to
stop using complementary therapies and to pay only for
medicine "based on solid evidence".
I consider this article to be a good example of
how the Matrix works. We are presented with a
certain scenario - the Prince vs. the Doctors -
which we are expected to interpret as Science vs.
Sentiment. Also the reader is to see this as a UK
issue, a scientific debate within the UK health
community.
The underlying reality, not mentioned at all in
the article, is that a worldwide campaign is
being pursued by the pharmaceutical industry to
eliminate those forms of health care and those
health products which do not bring maximum
profits to the industry. This campaign began
with Codex Alimentarius, a set of rules drafted
by representatives of the pharmaceutical
industry. Codex has an official website
(http://www.codexalimentarius.net) with this PR
description:
The Codex Alimentarius Commission was created in 1963 by FAO
and WHO to develop food standards, guidelines and related
texts such as codes of practice under the Joint FAO/WHO Food
Standards Programme. The main purposes of this Programme are
protecting health of the consumers and ensuring fair trade
practices in the food trade, and promoting coordination of
all food standards work undertaken by international
governmental and non-governmental organizations.
As globalization has proceeded, implementation of
Codex has been mandated by treaties: each nation
is obligated to pass legislation to enforce the
Codex rules. If politicians were to say "We are
forced to do this because of Codex", that would
raise public awareness of the emerging globalist
government. In order to avoid this, the
implementing legislation is always presented as a
domestic issue, as in this article.
rkm
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Original source URL:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5007118.stm
Doctors attack 'bogus' therapies
Some of Britain's leading doctors have urged NHS
trusts to stop using complementary therapies and
to pay only for medicine "based on solid
evidence".
The group raised concerns that the NHS is funding
"unproven or disproved treatments", like
homeopathy.
One doctor told the Times the NHS was funding
"bogus" therapies when patients struggled to get
drugs like Herceptin.
But Prince Charles has said "proven" therapies
should be integrated with conventional medicine.
Orthodox medicine has so much to learn
Prince Charles
Prince's comments
He told the World Health Assembly in Geneva: "The
proper mix of proven complementary, traditional
and modern remedies, which emphasises the active
participation of the patient, can help to create
a powerful healing force in the world."
He added: "Many of today's complementary
therapies are rooted in ancient traditions that
intuitively understood the need to maintain
balance and harmony with our minds, bodies and
the natural world.
"Much of this knowledge, often based on oral
traditions, is sadly being lost, yet orthodox
medicine has so much to learn from it."
He called on countries to look at how they could
improve the health of their populations, using a
more integrated approach.
'Implausible treatment'
In their letter, from 13 doctors and sent to 476
acute and primary care trusts, is being seen as a
direct challenge to the prince's campaign.
The public and the NHS are best served by using
the available funds for treatments that are based
on solid evidence
Letter to NHS trusts
Organised by Michael Baum, emeritus professor of
surgery at University College London, the letter
said he and fellow doctors believed alternative
medicine was being promoted despite a lack of
evidence and "at a time when the NHS is under
intense pressure".
It criticised two initiatives - a
government-funded guide on homeopathy for
patients, and the Smallwood report, commissioned
by Prince Charles, which suggested greater access
to complementary therapies in the NHS might lead
to widespread benefits.
The letter described homeopathy as an
"implausible treatment for which over a dozen
systematic reviews have failed to produce
convincing evidence of effectiveness".
The doctors say while "medical practice must
remain open to new discoveries", it would "be
highly irresponsible to embrace any medicine as
though it were a matter of principle".
There is so much anecdotal evidence that
thousands of people gain benefit from using
complementary medicines
Terry Cullen, British Complementary Medicine Association
The letter continues: "The public and the NHS are
best served by using the available funds for
treatments that are based on solid evidence."
Signatories on the letter include Nobel
Prize-winner Sir James Black and Sir Keith
Peters, president of the Academy of Medical
Science.
Edzard Ernst, the UK's first professor of complementary medicine, also signed.
He said: "The wholesale integration of
complementary medicine, simply because it's
alternative, and people may want it, and feel
satisfied with it, is not a good reason for
integration.
"I believe we need one single standard in
medicine and that is the standard of evidence
based medicine."
Dr Peter Fisher, of the Royal London Homeopathic
Hospital, described the letter as an attempt to
introduce a form of "medical apartheid" into the
NHS.
Terry Cullen, chairman of the British
Complementary Medicine Association, said: "It's
very frustrating that senior responsible people
dismiss complementary medicine for the sole
reason that it doesn't have the definitive
scientific proof that other drugs have.
"There is so much anecdotal evidence that
thousands of people gain benefit from using
complementary medicines. We shouldn't dismiss
that."
Madeleine Craggs, chief executive of the General
Osteopathic Council, said: "All recognise the
value of evidence-based practice, but given the
lack of funding for controlled trials, an interim
solution may be to pilot more integrated
services."
'Needs evidence'
One signatory to the letter, consultant clinical
scientist Leslie Rose, said its purpose was to
instil equal vigour in gathering evidence for
every treatment prescribed to NHS patients.
"The NHS should not be spending money where the
evidence base is much weaker than it is for
conventional treatments," he told BBC Breakfast.
He said a business plan for the refurbishment of
the Royal London Homeopathic Hospital - which
cost £20m to set up - did not put any emphasis on
evidence.
Complementary therapies also include reflexology,
aromatherapy and a range of 'hands on healing'
techniques such as reiki and shiatsu.
Prince Charles first advocated the use of
complementary medicines more than 20 years ago,
and has established the Prince's Foundation for
Integrated Health.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said
it was up to clinicians and trusts to decide on
the best treatment for a patient.
She said good evidence and clear information was
required for patients to make their choice.
She said the department said it did not have
figures on the amount spent by the NHS on
complementary medicines because decisions were
taken locally.
About half of GPs are thought to refer patients to alternative therapists.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/health/5007118.stm
Published: 2006/05/23 13:53:24 GMT
© BBC MMVI
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