The British Homeopathic Association (BHA) were keen to roll their reputation in the chiropractic midden and now have decided to further tarnish the stinking remnants by launching a research project with the Society of Homeopaths (SoH) and collaborations with lay homeopath organisations to promote homeopathy.
It was also hoped that during the year progress could be made cross organisationally utilising both the BHA’s and Society of Homeopaths’ research committees to create a study which would attract funding and have a good number of practitioners involved across the UK but only preliminary steps have been made to achieve this aim. It is hoped in the coming year a firmer relationship and a project can be agreed.
Homeopathy Awareness Week (HAW) featured an allergy theme, which was collaboratively agreed with communications specialists from other homeopathic organisations to capitalise on the fact that HAW is in June and hay fever affects a large percentage of the population and that it has a good evidence base for homeopathy.
The SoH’s idea of research is to fund the likes of Jeremy Sherr and Peter Chappell to carry out experiments on terminally ill AIDS and malaria patients in the developing world through the Homeopathic Action Trust (HAT), a charity they control. Also the SoH, and organisations such as the Alliance of Registered Homeopaths (ARH), believe that homeopathic vaccines can prevent malaria, yellow fever and other serious diseases. The BHA don’t. The BHA are composed of medical professionals, that, as they make clear, “are regulated by their relevant professional body.”. This has lent them a certain amount of respect when the lunacies of their lay compatriots are considered. Shackled to a tighter set of professional boundaries than lay homeopaths they have been relatively sensible when it comes to appreciating the limits of homeopathy. Should they continue to collaborate with the SoH, ARH and other organisations then what little respectability they have left will vanish and there will be no slightly sensible homeopathic movement left in Britain. If I were in the BHA I would be advising them to distance themselves from the lay homeopaths, after all their report makes clear they will be attempting to influence those in positions of power.
Given the continued attacks on homeopathy it was planned to engage key powerbrokers/decision makers of the value of homeopathy, targeting government and NHS decision makers. To that end the Association investigated engaging a consultancy to set up meetings with and help develop a strategy for developing relationships with key government officials. The trustees where supportive of the idea particularly in the coming year, but given the instability of financial markets it has been decided to wait until additional funding is available to pursue this.
A less programmed, more opportunistic meeting schedule with government officials and decision makers has occurred over the year. This year featured meetings with members of the House ofLords, MPs, NICE, NHS Health Care Alliance and other governing bodies. In the next year we plan to be more systematic and effective in setting meetings and building useful relationships.
Who will listen to an organisation whose friends are idiots?
