Another sign of big drug strangling free choice..
Subject: BBC HEALTH REMOVES ALL MENTION OF COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE FROM THEIR WEB SITE
I reckon this deserves a quick letter to the Beeb.
Dear Friend/Colleague
You may not be aware that last week the controllers of BBCHealth
(www.bbc.co.uk/health) , the health section on one of the most accessed
websites in the world, decided to remove all coverage of complementary
medicine!
They used to have substantial coverage with over 40 pages on this subject
covering all the major therapies, their pros and cons, evidence for their
effectiveness, how to find a qualified practitioner, etc.
However the site has in recent months been targeted by the self-appointed
‘Quackbusters’, (scientists and medics vehemently opposed to
complementary
therapies such as Prof David Colquhon et
al) who sent a deluge of letters and emails claiming that complementary
therapies such as homeopathy and cranial osteopathy were ‘unscientific’
and should be removed. As a result large chunks of this part of the site
were simply removed overnight and now, following recent cutbacks, it was
decided that, rather than update this part of the site, it should simply
be
removed altogether!
It may seem incredible that a public service site this prominent can deem
complementary medicine so insignificant that it no longer warrants any
coverage other than the odd news story. This is despite the fact that
complementary medicine is used favourably by a significant proportion of
the population (recent surveys have estimated that around
1 in 5 Britons use it at some point or other) and that increasing numbers
of people are now seeking to train in these therapies.
However, as the ‘quack busters’ become more organised and active,
evidence
of the backlash against complementary medicine is appearing all over the
place – such as the removal of NHS Trust funding for homeopathy, the
threatened closure of the homeopathic hospitals, many negative news
stories
in the press and so on. Rather than taking a reasoned view and
considering
the evidence from good research studies on complementary medicine these
individuals seem simply hell bent on trying to ‘stamp out’
complementary medicine in any way possible. The BBCi removal of
complementary medicine coverage (which has been in place for almost
15 years!) is one example.
If you care about complementary medicine and believe information pages on
it should be returned to BBCi, please, please take just a minute to
express
your views using their online comment form at:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/feedback/
to make your view known. As a public service company they have to listen
to your views so your email will make a difference.
Apparently for all the many letters and emails that they received that
were against complementary medicine they only received a handful in
support. Therefore if you are in support please let them know so they may
revise their thinking on this subject.
Please act as soon as possible and pass on these details to anyone else
you know who may also be willing to write in support of complementary
medicine.
Thank you!