I am absolutely furious that this attempt has been made on our freedom of choice.
I have had chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia for 17 years.
I have been trying to get a referral to The Royal London Homeopathic Hospital for 6 months. Now I understand what is happening despite my patients rights to go I am still being refused. This is very very wrong when I have done so much to help myself with diet ,excercise etc..
It nearly always works on my two labradors so how do these scientists explain that?
Now some bright spark is saying there is no such condition as dyslexia. Where will it end?

Adrienne Obbard, Stratford upon Avon, Warwickshire

The above responders apparently find it sufficient to take anything on "trust" alone. The "trust me, it works" approach. Show me first that homeopathy does work - show me the science and the studies that it works. I am sorry, but your word is not enough.
When any payment is provided for services rendered by a third party - at least the efficacy of the provided service should have solid theoretical science and outcome science behind it. The "proof" of it working - not anecdotal baloney. If people want to just "trust" a practitioner and buy their dilutions, or marrow, or snakeoil, let them pay for their own...

Sebastian Asselbergs, Barrie, canada

Who are these so called experts? They so clearly know absolutely nothing of what happens in a homeopathic consultation and at the homeopathic hospitals and of course do not comment on the area some of them might have knowledge in, which would be the costs to the NHS of conventional drugs and the costs of the side effects of these treatments which we all help pay for.

Dr Tom Whitmarsh, Glasgow, Scotland

What kinds of things does Homeopahy 'work' for . There seems to be an increase in ailments in the community which are highly responsive to the missing elements of ratiaonal EBM (hence the growth of CAM?) Perhaps the condtions that Dylan Evans refers to in his book Placebo that respond to placebo are on the increase (this is certainly my clinical observation in primary care) Pains of various sorts,depression etc are increasingly common and the reasons are not exlusively medical .
I am interested in how things work not territorial 'warfare'. Homeopathy makes no sense at one level as it seems to refute most ideas of chemistry and biology . However extended consultations , seem to promote an enhanced healing response and perhaps the discussion needs to be broadened into notions of healing and why there is a demand for CAM treatments in the wider community ?

ian stevens , dunblane , Scotland

Why should NHS pay for homeopathic treatment. You get it for free in your tap-water?

Maria M, Oslo, Norway

When I did my medicine paper in finals we had to write an essay on "Iatrogenic medicine". No-one knew the word then, but we do now. Think of all the drug side -effect scandals there have been since then like Thalidomide, Opren (for arthiritis, it caused more gut bleeds than the Ibuprofen it was supposed to replace) and Practolol a beta blocker that caused death by retro - peritoneal fibrosis.
All obviously put on the market without enough research.
Most of my patients come for homeopathy in General Practice because of medication problems with conventional drugs. If the signatories to the letter were to carry out the letter of their Hippocratic Oaths ...."above all, do no harm" they would not want to suggest some of the treatments that they do.

Dr Mollie Hunton, Stourbridge, West Midlands

I am fortunate enough to have been in receipt of 'alternative treatments' (albeit not homeopathic), paid for by my PCT. Homeopathic treatment should continue to be funded by the NHS; after all, doesn't the NHS Plan state that healthcare should work around the patient and not the other way round?

Perhaps if the PCTs did not have to spend so much time meeting pointless targets set by the DoH, spent less money on recruitment and retention officers, diversity officers and the like (in other words, pen pushers), then perhaps there would be more money in the coffers to pay for alternative treatments. Surely homeopathic medicines cost less to the NHS than standard, pharmaceutical drugs? I'd be very interested as to whether or not the authors of the letter of protest received any research funding from large pharmaceutical companies (who obviously have a vested interest in seeing the use of alternative therapies within the NHS cease).

Suzy Jolly, London, England

PCTs are expected to commission services in line with Practiced Based Commissioning (PBC). The practices in turn want to help their patients and where possible restore them to full health. Homeopathy is another therapeutic option which patients say work. The term "evidence based medecine" as currently applied does not include many interventions which are used in General Practice. The attack on homeopathy is puzzling and will potentially deny many patients a treatment which will make a significant difference.

Roger Neville-Smith, Saltburn,

'consider the cultural and social damage of maintaining as a matter of principle expenditure on practices which are unsupported by evidence'... OK, perhaps the medical profession would like to explain where the scientific evidence base is for the chemotherapy regimes employed for Cancer treatments. It seems that there is a double standard operating here. Homoeopathy isn't 'alternative' but 'complementary' and the sooner that it becomes part of a holistic health service , the better for all. The aim surely is to find ways of healing people while doing the minimum of harm?
If this truly is about saving money, then it is a very short sighted view, when Homoeopathy may help to significantly reduce overall costs and thus enable these 'more expensive' treatments to be available for those who need them.

Anjie Jackson, Chorley, England

What has happened to patient choice?

As someone who has had much better experience of Homeopathy working than many so called 'evidence based treatments' provided by the NHS I am sorry that an opportunity for efficacious treatment (without side effects) is denied those who cannot afford to pay for private Homeopathic treatment.

JJ, Stroud,

Perhaps the scientists need to try harder to understand HOW homoeopathy works... Becasue most of us know that it does. At least it is is more effective than orthodox medicine because orthodoxy suppresses, not cures and this is why patients with chronic diseases rely on medicines all their life, suffering more and more side effects. Chronic diseases respond much better to homoeopathy, especially things like depression. Can you please explain why so many children and teenagers are prescribed anti-depressants? The signatories are truly threatened due to their lack of knowledge of this great medical art.

Homoeopathy Student , Birmingham,

Doctors appear to be afraid of competition! If you read the side effects of most drugs, which have been properly tested by those who have the knowledge, you will be surprised at the pitfalls effecting lay patients who take those drugs! Too numerous to mention. All you have to do is to seek out on the webside the drugs prescribed and you will be amazed what could happen to you Conversely homoeopathic remedies are prescribed for the person, not the disease, and are harmles if, in some cases they do not appear to work. Homoeopathy is a complement to "orthodox" medicine and often works side by side.

Health insurers recognise the value of complementary medicines - some if prescribed by a doctor. I know of a number of doctors who use homeopathy. In france doctors use homoepathy together with conventional medicines, so, I believe do the Germans. I know that In Poland homoeopathy is popular amongst the medical profession!

A.Lawrence, Marlow, Bucks

Charles from Texas labels the Professor an imbecile because the Professor and his co signatories ask for demonstrable evidence that homeopathic medicine is effective. Do you also believe that praying for people cures them?

Martin, York, The real world

Dear Sir,
It is said you can convince the unconvinced but you can not convince one who refuse to be convinced. Whether God needs a certificate from Devil could be point to ponder. Crores of people since last 200 years who are cured by Homoeopathy are not fools to believe that they have been cured. As a layman I am fully convinced that Homoeopathy really works better than the so called scientifically proven clinically tested etc. etc. modern Allopathic Medicines. It is surprising that some Great persons are too eager to prevent Homoeopathy from spreading but they are silent about the dangerous side effects of Allopathic medicines which itself makes one suspicious. How any body decide what is good to the patients than the patients themselves. Are they not preventing the society from having a choice therby propagating Medical Fundamentalism . If they cant understand the system is it the fault of the system?

Purushottama Wagle, Bangalore,

It seems extraordinary to me that in today's world such statements as are contained in the above article can be made. People -and therefore patients - have access to information, can look up what they like on the internet and make their own informed decisions to choose the treatment they want and can be relied on to express their opinions and preferences regarding the effectiveness of such treatments. The Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital has an outstanding team of medically trained doctors and nurses who are supplying medical attention with an added dimension. They provide patients with homoeopathy, acupuncture, herbs. They work respectfully and with integrity and are always prepared to co-operate and liaise with other medical professionals IN SUPPORT OF THE PATIENTS' best interests. I think that banning Homoeopathy and other therapies especially in this medical context would impoverish the NHS and thus the nation's health no end.

Tamara Callea, Reading, Berkshire, UK

This is just the same old same old from the 'usual suspects'. Really, I think it is about time that Born, Baum, Colquhoun and Ernst et al (and their backers) changed the record and came clean about why homeopathy frightens them so much.

'Cultural and social damage caused by relatively small expenditure' is a pitiful excuse, and demonstrates conclusively that these emeritii are completely ignorant of the shaky philosophical foundations on which they base their understanding of the word 'evidence'.

As mainly emeritus professors they clearly have time on their hands, so perhaps they might care to enroll on some modern philosophy courses that no doubt their parent institutions run. Then perhaps they might be better placed to hear the many people who benefit from the NHS provision of homeopathy. For there is nothing so culturally and socially damaging as a deaf emeritus professor.

Dr Lionel R Milgrom, London,

Beware of white men with gifts.

Do not think this arguement is about saving money for the NHS. Professor Born gives his address as The William harvey Research Institute - funded by - quote from their web site - financial support was from Glaxo. Sir David Jack, former Head of Research at Glaxo, was the first Chairman of Trustees (1995-2000) of the William Harvey Research Foundation. Subsequently, pharmaceutical companies from Europe (Astra, Lipha, Servier), USA (Parke-Davis, United Therapeutics) and Japan (Ono) have funded major research programmes.

If you had a therapy that was individualised to patient, so low in toxins you can prescribe even in pregnancy and have 200 years of documented case histories that you refer to every day for your referrence - then you would call it Homeoathy

If Homeopathy was so ineffective then how would it have survived 200 years and why would the drug companies be so intent on destroying it.

Len Marlow RSHom, Broseley Wood, Shropshire

It does not surprise me that a professor of pharmacology is leading a battle against homeopathy and other forms of "alternative medicine." He states that there is a lack of scientific evidence to support the use of homeopathy and other alternative forms of health care. Frankly the man is an inbecile. I challenge you to read through the Physicians Desk Reference (PDR) at the long list of medications that are listed there. In many instances the mode of action for these chemicals that are introduced into our bodies is unknown. Here in the U.S. 20 per cent of the medications provided and approved by the FDA have to be recalled or have black box warnings placed after their release. I have been in practice for almost 20 years and have accomplished far greater success at managing musculoskeletal problems without the use of pain medications, antiinflammatories, and muscle relaxants. My " alternative" practice has not resulted in patients suffering from untoward reactions.

Charles Wickware, Kerrville, Texas/USA

Over the last 200 years homeopaths have consistently shown that their therapy works. There are countless studies on tretament and prevention of epidemic diseases, and homeopathy has been tested in the so-called gold standard of research, the Double-Blind Placebo Controlled Randomised Trials in veterinary and human medicine, and has scored well. We have also trials showing the efficacy of homeoprophylaxis, a homeopathic method for the prevention of diseases, among them meningitis. It is interetsing to note that homeopathy is alive and kicking and gaining more an more popular recognition despite persistent onslaughts by a relatively small group of people who favour ideology to facts. Homeopathy is a therapeutic method originating in the great tradition of the enlightenment: aude sapere - dare to know. One can only hope that the heads of the PCT's are more enlightened than the signatories who seem happy to ignore the fact how many people are being helped by homeopathy.

Ralf Jeutter, Hove,

The signatories of the letter omit to mention that the majority of NHS medical treatments have not been through the 'gold standard' of medical trials. While most of the drugs used in the NHS are known to 'work' (though whether they 'cure' is another matter), the mechanisms by which they work are often not fully understood. The medical profession accepts this, yet in the case of homeoapthy, the same standard does not apply. Professor Colcqhoun is on record as saying that he expects a higher standard of proof for homeopathy than mainstream medicine. It would be great if the media were more even-handed in their reporting of mainstream and complementary medicine topics instead of supporting a steady polarisation of the issues. Science is a blessing - dogmatism is destructive.

Suse Moebius RSHom, London,

HOMEOPATHY WORKS! IT WORKED 250 YEARS AGO AND STILL CONTINUES TO DO SO TODAY"
I wish the scientists and doctors would read the hundreds of comments written in a book at the RLHH from satisfied patients who have received this so-called 'ineffectual' treatment' and are desperately worried about how they will receive treatment under the NHS if the hospital is closed. For the sake of the saving of a few million pounds, it will cost the NHS a far greater amount of money to provide these patients with other forms of medication and treatment. than the PCTs are spending at present.
It must be remembered that all the doctors at the RLHH are fully qualified physicians - not lay practitioners - and use homeopathy as an integrated part of a patient's treatment. Let them and the patient decide whether or not it is a suitable form of medicine to use. Wasn't the NHS meant to be all about Patient Choice at one stage?

Cynthia Burton, London, England

The only 'alternative' is between medicine that works and that which doesn't. The sooner the NHS stops paying for, and by inference, legitimising these supposed remedies the better.

PJ, Chinnor, Oxon

Good idea. I would like to be treated by medicines that have actually been shown to work. If alternative therapies can be shown to actually improve people's health then prescribe them be all means. Until then lets just spend the NHS's scarce resources on things that have been proved to be effective.

Nick, Newcastle,

'Cultural and social damage' caused by 'relatively small...expenditure' on the practice of homeopathy?
Really?
Are you saying that the minimum dose, maximum effect principle actually works, gentlemen?

Krystyna Hilton RSHom, Keighley, West Yorkshire

I would welcome this boycott but I feel the real issue is NHS money being used to fund treatments without evidence that they work and proof that they are cost effective.

It is time we stamp down on ineffective treatments whether they are 'alternative' or 'traditional' . Either it works or it doesn't, if it doesn't then stop funding it. There is a finite pot of money in the NHS coffers and every penny needs to be accounted for whatever the views of the PM's wife on the subject.

James Lawrence, Maidenhead, UK

Have you looked at www.clinicalevidence.org? This excellent guide to EBM published by the BMJ points out that 47% of the 2500 treatments they have reviewed have "unknown effectiveness". Indeed only 15% are rated as "beneficial". If this campaign by these signatories is an attempt to have the NHS stop commissioning treatments which are "unsupported by evidence" are they including the 1200 or so treatments from this source which fall into that category? To remove so much care from the NHS on the basis of this approach is not only unscientific but would enormously increase the suffering of patients who currently experience relief from their doctors' care.
For heaven's sake let's have a more rational approach to health care. The lack of statistical trials and surveys should not be the basis of decision making about commissioning. It's time doctors learned a little humility and starting listening to the feedback from patients - it is THEIR health after all!

Dr Robert Leckridge, Stirling, Scotland

Have these eminent gentlemen nothing else to do?
Do they not have students to supervise and research to perform?
Why is such a harmless and safe yet clinically effective treatment provoking their wrath, as if it were the spawn of Satan?

Homeopathy works on cats, dogs and cows.
The placebo applies in all styles of medicine including orthodox medicine, not just in Homeopathy.

We have a good amount of validated research including thousands of consecutive patient outcome scores from the Bristol Homeopathic Hospital study to validate this.

Respectfully may I ask: what is the REAL agenda these men have, and what REALLY motivates them?

Clearly it is not the pursuit of truth or they would be trying it properly and getting the same results as vets do!

Dr Eric Asher MBBS FRACGP FFHom The Third Space Medicine, Piccadilly Circus, Long Crendon Bucks , The Manor Hospital Oxford

Eric Asher, Piccadilly Circus, London