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Hurrah for NHS cuts! The Times reports today that some PCTs are, because of financial crises (they're not 'cuts' at all but it makes for an arresting headline) having to cut back on funding for homeopathic treatments:
More than half of the primary care trusts (PCTs) in England are now refusing to pay for homoeopathy or severely restricting access a year after The Times revealed that 13 senior doctors had urged them to fund only therapies that were backed up by scientific evidence.
Figures obtained by Les Rose, one of the doctors, and The Times under the Freedom of Information Act show that at least 86 of the 147 trusts have either stopped sending patients to the four homoeopathic hospitals, or are introducing strict measures to limit referrals. Another 40 trusts have yet to provide data. More than 20 have taken action since receiving a letter organised a year ago today by Professor Michael Baum, a cancer specialist at University College London, which argued that “unproven or disproved treatments” such as homoeopathy and reflexology ought not to be available free to patients.
Great. Homeopathy is complete and utter nonsense, as scientifically useful as me standing in my pyjamas chanting 'oom' and expecting AIDS to disappear across Africa. There is no worthwhile evidence - not a small amount, not an argument, just plain NONE - that it is more effective than a placebo.
If it takes NHS financial crises to stop taxpayers' money being thrown away on treating people with water - which is no more and no less what homeopathy is - then bring 'em on.