Row of Charles' investigation on complementary therapies

[Guest guest]

I'm not a fan of the royal family, but thought this was a good idea.

 

 

Jo

 

 

A report commissioned by the Prince of Wales into the cost of

complementary medicines has sparked controversy.

Prince Charles, an enthusiast for alternative medicine, asked an

independent economist to work out how much such therapies could save

the NHS.

 

Christopher Smallwood, former economics advisor to Barclays Bank,

will submit his report to ministers in this autumn.

 

But a leading complementary medicine expert said such analyses should

be left to the official NHS watchdog.

 

Unproved therapy

 

Professor Edzard Ernst, professor of complementary and alternative

medicine at the University of Exeter warned that otherwise, unproved

treatments could be integrated into the NHS at the expense of other

therapies.

 

" Potentially, that could be quite detrimental to the NHS, " he said.

 

He accused the report, commissioned by Prince Charles but funded by

two independent charities, of introducing double standards in

healthcare provision.

 

" One standard exists already for mainstream medicine and a new

standard is being created for complementary medicine. "

 

It is entirely inappropriate for anyone to be commenting on the

report when it has not even been completed, let alone published

 

Paddy Haverson, the Prince's communications secretary

 

He believes the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence

(NICE), which conducts cost analyses for conventional medicines,

should be the one to assess the cost-benefits for the NHS of

providing therapies such as homeopathy.

 

" The issue itself - the question of whether it saves money or costs

extra money - is crucial.

 

" It will absolutely determine the future of complimentary medicine in

this country.

 

" Because it is so important, it is essential to base it on high

quality research. That has to come from a team of experts well versed

in health economics in medicine and complementary medicine, "

Professor Ernst said.

 

Paddy Haverson, the Prince's communications secretary, said: " It is

entirely inappropriate for anyone to be commenting on the report when

it has not even been completed, let alone published. "

 

He said the Prince had asked Mr Smallwood to conduct the analysis

because he was independent of the Prince's Foundation for Integrated

Health, which promotes alternative medicine therapies.

 

This month, the Patients Association has called for all GPs to

provide patients with the choice of using complementary medicine

where it had been proven to work.

 

But the British Medical Association said while access should be

more " equitable " , there needed to be better regulation.

 

Evan Harris, Liberal Democrat science spokesman, said: " I am very

dubious about whether NHS money that could be spend on things that

have been shown to work should be spent on things, however popular

they are. "

 

He said any cost-benefit review of complementary medicines should be

based on peer-reviewed, non-biased reports.