Debate at Guy’s Hospital
Date: Tuesday 28 Apr 09
Time: 6pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre 1, New Hunt’s House, Guy’s Hospital
Motion: ‘This house believes that complementary and alternative therapies do more harm than good.’
Here we go again… Another debate in which the motion aims to hammer complementary, alternative, holistic or integrated medicine into the ground. I reported on the previous one at UCL where homeopathy was singled out for attack. My opinion on these matters remains the same: Let all medical therapeutics compete on a level playing field. I’ll be there again as I feel these debates are important and those who would use horrific double standards to attempt to bully and bludgeon CAM out of existence, should be strongly opposed.
Proposing the motion:
Simon Singh: journalist, author co-author of ‘Trick or Treatment: alternative medicine on trial’ (Simon spoke at the UCL debate on which I’ve reported here)
Prof Michael Baum: Emeritus Professor of Surgery (a very long time opponent of homeopathy, I remember debating this with him on the radio in the 80s) Prof. Baum was one of the co-signatories of 2 letters to Patient Care Trusts (one inappropriately written on paper with an NHS logo) urging these committees comprising mainly non-doctors to prevent GPs (ie doctors) from referring patients to medical doctors practising homeopathy on the NHS.
Opposing the motion:
Prof George Lewith: Professor of Health Research in the Complementary and Integrated Medicine Research Unit at the University of Southampton (George is a qualified internal physician and highly regarded practitioner of integrated medicine)
Prof David Peters Clinical Director, School of Integrated Health at the University of Westminster (I’ve known David as a respected colleague and fellow member of the British Holistic Medical Association (of which he is now president) a long time.
The debate at UCL was lively and well attended as I’m sure this one will be. Try and come along. Further details here.
