WHAT IS HOMEOPATHY?

Two thirds of homeopathy users claim that homeopathic treatment worked better or as good as conventional medicine. But with 40% of people not sure what it is, it is no wonder that 75% have not tried it.

Homeopathy is a form of complementary healthcare that works with our natural healing process and has been used for over 200 years. Its remedies are designed to stimulate the body’s natural reaction to help with many conditions and ailments, helping a return to good health. With an ever-growing number of people seeking a more natural way of maintaining their health, homeopathy can be used responsibly alongside conventional medicine* and has a mounting evidence base to support it.

(*If you are considering using homeopathy and are taking any medicines either prescribed or bought yourself or herbal products please consult your doctor before taking any homeopathic remedies.)

FINDING A HOMEOPATH

Once you’ve decided to try homeopathy as a complementary treatment, you need to find a homeopath. Go to our database of homeopaths in the UK. It contains the details of nearly 2,000 registered and qualified homeopaths working in the UK. They include 1,500 members of the Society of Homeopaths, who are trained, registered and insured professionals, and 400 members of the Faculty of Homeopathy, who are also medical healthcare professionals, including GPs, nurses, midwives, dentists, pharmacists and vets.

What happens at a consultation?

When you see a homeopath, it’s their job to get a thorough understanding of your health and the exact symptoms you are experiencing, so that they can find a homeopathic remedy which matches you and your symptoms.

There will be a number of questions about your current illness as well as all aspects of your health including your past medical history and diet, as well as more generally about lifestyle and personality. This is because homeopathy is a holistic medicine and takes into account all aspects of the individual and their symptoms. This first consultation will usually take between one and two hours, depending on the practitioner.

YOUR HOMEOPATHY TREATMENT

Once you have visited a registered homeopath, they will prescribe a remedy (sometimes more than one). Either:

Your homeopath will dispense your remedy there and then or post it to you
You take your prescription to a homeopathic pharmacy and they will dispense it for you, or
Your homeopath is also a GP and is able to refer you for further homeopathic treatment on the NHS (depending on the funding situation in your local Primary Care Trust)

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

Dr Charlotte Mendes da Costa is an NHS GP and qualified homeopath, click here for more information more information. She will explain what could happen next –

Follow up consultations with your homeopath - The first follow up consultation will usually be around four weeks after the first prescription, although in some cases it may be sooner. The session will be shorter, and the homeopath will ask about changes that have occurred, before deciding on the next course of treatment.

The number of consultations needed is difficult to predict – it depends on a number of factors such as the age of the patient, how long the symptoms have been going on and their individual response to the prescription.
Is your homeopath a GP? NHS treatment at a specialist Homeopathy clinic or hospitals – There are several specialist homeopathy clinics as well as four NHS homeopathic hospitals in the UK – Bristol, Liverpool, London and Glasgow

The hospitals have been part of the NHS since it was founded in 1948, though they have actually existed for over a hundred years. These are consultant-led services staffed by fully qualified doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals who have additional training in homeopathy and other complementary therapies such as acupuncture. Patients are referred, as is usual in the NHS, by their GP or specialist.
If your homeopath is not a GP, talk to your GP about referrals – If you believe that homeopathy is the course of treatment for you, ask your current doctor or specialist for a referral to one of the homeopathic hospitals or clinics, or to a homeopathic GP who takes NHS referrals. Your doctor can either use the choose-and-book system or apply directly to the Primary Care Trust (PCT) or Local Health Board (LHB) on your behalf.

If you are considering using homeopathy and are taking any medicines either prescribed or bought yourself or herbal products please consult your doctor before taking any homeopathic remedies. Your homeopathic doctor may ask your permission to contact your GP to say that they are treating you. This will allow them to share important information. However, they will not do so if you do not give your permission.

For more information on homeopathy on the NHS or as private treatment, click here