Continued funding or end of funding to be decided on June 14
The Good Thinking Society welcomed today’s report from NHS Liverpool CCG on the subject of homeopathy, which showed overwhelming support from Liverpool residents for an end to funding.
The report, which came about after Good Thinking’s legal challenge to the CCG in February 2015, concluded that 66% of all respondents to the consultation would never use homeopathy services in the future, due to the lack of evidence for the effectiveness of the treatment and believing homeopathy to be an inappropriate use of NHS funds.
Furthermore, 64% of Liverpool residents consulted and 73% of overall respondents wanted to stop homeopathy funding immediately.
Interestingly, the report also found that many respondents did not understand the true nature of homeopathy, suggesting that the number of people calling to an end to the treatment may have been higher if it had been clearer that homeopathic remedies are not the same as ‘herbal’ or ‘natural’ remedies.
Michael Marshall, Liverpool resident and Project Director of the Good Thinking Society, said of the report: “It’s encouraging to see such a clear statement from Liverpool residents that homeopathy has no place on the NHS. The evidence is unequivocal in showing that homeopathic treatments are no more effective than placebo, and this consultation shows overwhelmingly that the people of Liverpool believe limited NHS funds should be spent on treatments that are shown to actually work.
“We trust the CCG will make the correct decision in light of this report, taking into account the lack of evidence for the effectiveness of homeopathy, as well as the overwhelming view of the Liverpool people that homeopathy should not be funded on the NHS.”
This report will be discussed by NHS Liverpool CCG at their upcoming board meeting on 14th June, and a final decision over homeopathy funding will be made then.
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