Portland Centre: Society submits formal opposition to plan to ‘abandon’ NHS homeopathy

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    [post_date] => 2018-04-17 10:00:59
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    [post_content] => A proposal to remove NHS-funded homeopathy from the list of options available to patients at Bristol's renowned Portland Centre is 'a mistake' and will narrow patient choice for the sake of only very minor savings, the Society of Homeopaths has told NHS bosses.

Responding to a consultation on a review of homeopathic and alternative therapies for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which includes the Portland, the Society acknowledged the NHS was under pressure to cut costs .

But it argued that removing homeopathic treatment from the Portland's NHS-funded services would not help.

In its statement, the Society said: "The NHS proposal January 2018 states that their vision is to improve the health of the whole population, reduce health inequalities and ensure the long-term fitness of the NHS. We appreciate the need to reduce budgets however we regard the removal of NHS funded homeopathic treatment in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire as a mistake. This will decrease patient choice and reduce medical diversity for the sake of very minor savings. The burden of chronic illness on the NHS and society is immense."

Mark Taylor, the Society's Chief Executive, said the move even risked bumping up costs rather than saving money because patients denied homeopathy would need support from other NHS services.

"Not only does the hounding of the Portland Centre and blocking homeopathy from those who desperately want to use it save very little but, in reality, it costs the NHS more as the conventional system buckles under the weight of under-funding and increased demand," he said.

"We have repeatedly shown that homeopathy, working within an integrated system, can contribute to patient welfare and reduce costs."

The plan to drop homeopathy from the list of treatments for patients at the Portland was one of three options put forward in a review by the CCG. They were:
  • No change to the current policy - homeopathy is currently only offered to patients at the centre if their case meets an agreed set of criteria.
  • Reducing the number of appointments routinely funded or restricting the access criteria so that fewer patients are eligible.
  • Making NHS-funded homeopathy available in “rare and exceptional circumstances” only where a request would need approval from an Individual Funding Request Panel (IFR).
Society members can view the response in the members’ area of the website via support/campaigns.   The consultation closed on Sunday, April 15. The CCG will announce its decision on the future of NHS homeopathy at the Portland later in the year.       [post_title] => Portland Centre: Society submits formal opposition to plan to 'abandon' NHS homeopathy [post_excerpt] => [post_status] => publish [comment_status] => open [ping_status] => open [post_password] => [post_name] => bristol-ccg-society-submits-formal-opposition-to-plan-to-abandon-nhs-homeopathy [to_ping] => [pinged] => [post_modified] => 2018-07-04 11:49:07 [post_modified_gmt] => 2018-07-04 10:49:07 [post_content_filtered] => [post_parent] => 0 [guid] => https://homeopathy-soh.org/?p=14243 [menu_order] => 0 [post_type] => post [post_mime_type] => [comment_count] => 0 [filter] => raw )

A proposal to remove NHS-funded homeopathy from the list of options available to patients at Bristol’s renowned Portland Centre is ‘a mistake’ and will narrow patient choice for the sake of only very minor savings, the Society of Homeopaths has told NHS bosses.

Responding to a consultation on a review of homeopathic and alternative therapies for Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), which includes the Portland, the Society acknowledged the NHS was under pressure to cut costs .

But it argued that removing homeopathic treatment from the Portland’s NHS-funded services would not help.

In its statement, the Society said: “The NHS proposal January 2018 states that their vision is to improve the health of the whole population, reduce health inequalities and ensure the long-term fitness of the NHS. We appreciate the need to reduce budgets however we regard the removal of NHS funded homeopathic treatment in Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire as a mistake. This will decrease patient choice and reduce medical diversity for the sake of very minor savings. The burden of chronic illness on the NHS and society is immense.”

Mark Taylor, the Society’s Chief Executive, said the move even risked bumping up costs rather than saving money because patients denied homeopathy would need support from other NHS services.

“Not only does the hounding of the Portland Centre and blocking homeopathy from those who desperately want to use it save very little but, in reality, it costs the NHS more as the conventional system buckles under the weight of under-funding and increased demand,” he said.

“We have repeatedly shown that homeopathy, working within an integrated system, can contribute to patient welfare and reduce costs.”

The plan to drop homeopathy from the list of treatments for patients at the Portland was one of three options put forward in a review by the CCG. They were:

  • No change to the current policy – homeopathy is currently only offered to patients at the centre if their case meets an agreed set of criteria.
  • Reducing the number of appointments routinely funded or restricting the access criteria so that fewer patients are eligible.
  • Making NHS-funded homeopathy available in “rare and exceptional circumstances” only where a request would need approval from an Individual Funding Request Panel (IFR).

Society members can view the response in the members’ area of the website via support/campaigns.

 

The consultation closed on Sunday, April 15. The CCG will announce its decision on the future of NHS homeopathy at the Portland later in the year.

 

 

 

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