New way of helping patients with long term conditions

NHS Lanarkshire will no longer refer new patients to the Centre for Integrative Care, formerly known as the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital.

From April 1, 2015, patients will be referred to existing services within Lanarkshire such as pain management, counselling, psychology, acupuncture and cognitive behavioural therapy. Lanarkshire patients currently using CIC services will continue to do so for the duration of their treatment.

The NHS Lanarkshire decision followed an extensive review which included taking evidence from individuals and organisations who presented cases in favour of the CIC services as well as those who questioned the clinical efficiency of homoeopathy and other treatments available at the CIC.

Among those invited and who took part in the review were Lanarkshire CIC patients, GPs, health professionals, patient representatives from the CIC, members of the public and Public Partnership Forum (PPF) representatives.

The review also involved an examination of literature on the health benefits of homoeopathic remedies, undertaken by the chair of the review group and NHS Lanarkshire’s director of public health medicine, Dr Harpreet Kohli.

Presenting his final report to the Lanarkshire NHS Board, Dr Kohli concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support the continued use of the services – including homoeopathy – provided by the CIC. This decision took account of new evidence in the form of a systematic review on homoeopathy.

From April 1, patients with long term conditions will still be able to access a whole range of services which cover many of the conditions previously referred to the CIC. The services available in Lanarkshire, and accessible through GP referral, include: self-management groups and programmes; counselling; psychology; psychological therapies; cognitive behavioural therapy; acupuncture; and pain management.