GPs banned from prescribing homeopathic and herbal remedies to save £4 MILLION in bid to cut NHS costs

GPs will be banned from prescribing homeopathic treatments and herbal remedies under major NHS cost-cutting plans.

The health service spends an estimated £4 million a year on the controversial therapies – despite England’s top doctor branding them “rubbish”.

3

Now NHS officials have launched a consultation to scrap them after warning they are a “misuse of scarce funds”.

The cuts are aimed at saving the cash-strapped health service around £250 million a year.

While the cost of cutting homeopathy prescriptions is put at £92,412, it is estimated that £4 million could be saved in total when including consultations and follow-up appointments.

Homeopathy is based on the idea the body can heal itself through exposure to highly diluted substances that cause an illness.

For example hayfever sufferers take a very weak solution of pollen.

The treatments are among 18 “low value” medicines the NHS says it should no longer be funding.

The list also includes muscle rubs, unsafe antidepressants, an alternative to Viagra and travel vaccinations.

3

Simon Stevens, NHS England’s chief executive, said homeopathy was “at best a placebo and a misuse of scarce NHS fund which could better be devoted to treatments that work”.

Health bosses also want millions more patients to pay for cheap over-the-counter therapies, such as common painkillers and cough remedies.

They plan to limit free prescriptions for indigestion pills, hayfever medicines, laxatives and suncream in a bid to save up to £100 million, part of the plan to save £250m overall.

A separate consultation has also been launched to scrap free prescriptions for gluten-free foods. They currently cost the NHS £26 million a year.

But it could also lead to restrictions on prescribing treatments for common conditions such as head lice or athlete’s foot.

3

The Royal Pharmaceutical Society said such a move raised “serious concerns” for poorer Brits.

But it said banning NHS-funded homeopathy was long overdue.

RPS England Board Chair Sandra Gidley said: “A blanket ban on prescribing of items available to buy will not improve individual quality of life or health outcomes in England.

“Those on low incomes will be disproportionately affected.”

MOST READ IN HEALTH

QUICK FIX

What is the LighterLife diet, what foods are restricted, is it safe and are there any success stories?

DOCTORS STUMPED

Girl, 9, who wears size 16 clothes could reach 7ft unless doctors discover why she's growing so fast

CHEST WHAT THE DOC ORDERED

Want to boost your body confidence and add sizzle to a soggy love life? Then it's time to bin the bikini top like these celebs

HEART GRAFTERS

Overtime IS killing you! Working more than 50 hours a week 'increases your risk of heart failure and stroke by 40%'

John O'Connell, Chief Executive of the TaxPayers' Alliance: "The NHS are absolutely right to look at removing homeopathy from their approved prescription list and it's astonishing that it hasn't happened sooner.”

GPs handed out 1.1 billion prescriptions last year, costing the NHS £9.2 billion.

Sir Bruce Keogh, NHS England Medical Director, said: “We need to focus on value for our patients and the taxpayer.

“At a time when we need to find all the money we can for new, highly effective drugs we must ensure every pound is spent wisely.

“We need to end unnecessary expense to give us a bigger therapeutic bang for the NHS buck.”