BBC Documentaries

Magic or Medicine - Homeopathy and the NHS (2010x87)

Air date: Sep 13, 2010

Samantha Poling investigates how homeopathy has penetrated the heart of the NHS and asks whether prescribing homeopathic preparations for serious conditions could be dangerous for patients. The investigation looks at the history and preparation of homeopathic remedies and the extent of their use in Scotland and England. Advocates of homeopathy, including patients and a former GP who overcame her scepticism and became an enthusiastic practitioner, report stories of dramatic recovery in some cases. Glasgow still has a fully fledged homeopathic hospital while in English towns and cities, with the exception of London, such hospitals have been downgraded or closed. Powerful voices, including the British Medical Association, question the level of funding within the NHS for homeopathy and call for more evidence-based research to back up the claims of homoepathic practitioners.