The Society of Homeopaths aims to publish within seven working days of a decision the names of those members in respect of whom it has investigated allegations and found the allegations to be well founded. It will also publish alongside the finding both the section(s) of the Code of Ethics and Practice of which they were found to be in breach, and the steps (if any) taken by the Adjudication Panel in respect of the member so named.
Orders imposed by the Adjudication Panel have been made to:
- Fulfil the Society’s role to protect members of the public
- Maintain public confidence in the profession of homeopathy
- Uphold the standards and conduct expected of Members
What the orders mean
Formal First Warning (F) – A member if given a formal warning which will remain on their file for a specified time agreed by the Panel.
Action Plan (A) – The member should agree upon an action plan to improve practice with the Professional Conduct Officer. Checks will ensure that the action plan is then followed.
Interim Suspension Order (I) – An allegation is serious enough for the member to be suspended pending an investigation and the outcome of the case.
Conditions of Practice (C) – conditions have been imposed on the member’s practice to enable him/her to take steps to remedy any deficiencies in their practice. Restrictions may be placed on the types of work that they may undertake. Conditions of practice judgements are sometimes imposed where there is evidence of incompetence or significant shortcomings in a member’s practice, but where the Committee is satisfied that there is potential for the member to respond positively to re-training and supervision.
Suspension (S) – the Panel has ordered that the member may not practise as a member of the Society of Homeopaths for a specified period of time. During this time he/she forgoes all rights and privileges of Society membership.
Expulsion (E) – this is the most severe sanction. The individual is no longer a member of the Society of Homeopaths.
Adjudication Panel decisions
This section contains details of homeopaths who have recently been the subject of a decision by either the Preliminary Investigation Panel or the Adjudication Panel and the sanction imposed. The committee has the power to issue a formal first warning and create an action plan, impose conditions of practice, suspend the homeopath’s registration for a set period, or permanently remove the homeopath’s name from the Register.
| Homeopath’s name | Registration number | Order/s | Order/s |
| Kate Diamantopoulo | 84 | E | An Adjudication Panel was held on 15th September, 2020 in accordance with Section 5 of the Professional Conduct Procedures to hear the complaint raised against Kate Diamantopoulo RSHom by the Society of Homeopaths (the complainant) under section 2.9 of the Professional Conduct Procedures. The Panel found that Kate Diamantopoulo was in breach of the Code of Ethics and Practice in respect of the following Sections: |
| Section 1 – Key Principles
1.3 – Treat everyone fairly, respectfully, sensitively and appropriately without discrimination. This includes colleagues, patients, Society staff and Society Committee members. 1.4 – Respect the views of others and, when stating their own views, avoid the disparagement of others either professionally or personally. 1.13 – Respond promptly and constructively to concerns, criticisms and complaints. Section 4 – Legal Obligations 42 – Members will ensure that they do not allow misleading advertising and information about their practice. Members will ensure that advertising is honest, decent, legal and truthful, and comply with the relevant laws relating to advertising including The Trade Descriptions Act 1968; The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 and The Blue Guide from the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). Examples of Codes the Society will also take account of are the relevant clauses of The UK Code of Nonbroadcast Advertising, Sales Promotion and Direct Marketing (CAP Code), and the current guidelines of the Society. 43 – Professional advertising must be factual and not seek to mislead or deceive, or make unrealistic or extravagant claims. Advertising may indicate special interests but must not make claims of superiority or disparage professional colleagues or other professionals. No promise of cure, either implicit or explicit, will be made of any named disease. All research will be presented clearly honestly and without distortion; all speculative theories will be stated as such and clearly distinguished. |
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| Akkik Patel | 2256 | E | An Adjudication Panel was convened on 29th June, 2017 to hear a complaint that had been brought by a member of the public against Akkik Patel RSHom. The complaint was upheld and the Panel found that Ms Patel was in breach of the Code of Ethics and Practice in respect of the following Sections: |
| Section 1 – Key principles for practice:
s1.5 – Work to foster and maintain the trust of individual patients and the public s1.9 – Provide comprehensive clear balanced information to allow patients to make informed choices s1.13 – Respond promptly and constructively to concerns, criticisms and complaints Section 2 – The patient/practitioner relationship 11 – The homeopath must record the patient’s name, address, date of birth and telephone number, and the contact details of their GP on their record. If the patient is not registered with a GP this should be recorded. All case notes, whether a result of electronic, telephonic or face-to-face consultations must be clear, legible, current, kept up to date and contain all the relevant information relating to the progress of the case, for example, treatment and any advice that has been given, whether the patient’s condition has improved, been maintained or deteriorated since they were last seen. This is important for patient care and essential should the registered or student clinical member at any time be involved in complaints or legal proceedings. All notes should be contemporaneous or completed promptly after a consultation (generally on the same day). The notes should be kept for a minimum of seven years after the last consultation and, in the case of children, until their twenty-fifth birthday. Section 3 – Professional obligations 19 – The patient has the right to know and the homeopathis obliged to offer, the name of any prescribed remedies. Where a patient expressly requests not to know the name of the remedy the homeopath should record their wish in their notes. |
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