From Naïveté To Nonsense (To Knocking Heads)

It's not often I can claim to be naive about NewAge, but, when it comes to Homeopathy on the NHS, I've been sillier than most:

I sincerely thought England was going to do the right thing and ban it.

But, now that I think about it, I was foolish. Why would the NHS stop selling water when they've got believers paying $75.00 a bottle for it - and the NHS is cash strapped? I mean, if they weren't above exploiting their patients before, and (as doctors and scientists) they surely knew that's what they were doing, why in the world would they be above exploiting them now?

If they want to so blatantly show they don't give a damn about anything but the bottom line, then they might as well go all the way. Seriously, the next obvious step is going to be NHS Brand Homeopathic Medicines - the "energy medicine" with 50% more "vital energy", right?

And all of it straight from the tap. None of these games, that it was carefully prepared according to certain principles, since it's already been revealed that homeopaths don't know how much shaking goes into it to make the water active. And Tom Chivers of The Telegraph, UK wants voodoo included now as well:

"The time has come. The Government has denied our rights as consumers, and as patients, for too long. My campaign starts here: fund hoodoo folk magic on the NHS.

You might think this is ridiculous, that the African conjuring practices clearly do not work, and that magic and nonsense have no place in the NHS. But you would be wrong. The Department of Health has released a statement about magic and nonsense – in the specific form of homeopathy – on the NHS, and it has come down firmly in its favour.

In the Government Response to the Science and Technology Committee report ‘Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy’, it says that: 'Complementary and alternative medicine, including [magic and nonsense], has a long tradition, and very vocal proponents and opponents'. Well: you can’t claim that hoodoo lacks that. It’s been around since at least 1875, and the African and Christian traditions it is based on far longer.

They add that 'the overriding reason for NHS provision [of magic and nonsense is] to provide patient choice.' I fail to see why this should be limited to homeopathic magic and nonsense. If I didn’t know better I’d say it was cultural bias towards European magic and nonsense. But African and Caribbean magic and nonsense has just as strong an evidence base, and patient choice would be better served by providing it.

And while we are talking about evidence: hoodoo magic and nonsense might not work, but whether or not a medical treatment works is not the only factor to consider in funding it on the NHS, according to the DoH: 'Efficacy is certainly important. Also important, however, are the fundamental principles that underpin the relationships between the Department and the NHS in England, between UK medicines legislation and the European regulatory framework, and between the clinician and the patient.' Well: we have no reason to believe that hoodoo works better than a similarly administered placebo, I must admit. But the relationship between the witch-doctor and his or her patient is very close, just like that between a homeopath and his or her patient."

Under the circumstances, it makes perfect (non) sense. And they'd better hurry:

Believers get angry when they don't get what they want - and you "doctors" don't want to see them angry.