Prince Charles Supports Alternative Treatments in the UK's National Heath System

The October 07, 2005 British Times Online, reports that a study commissioned by the Prince of Wales showed that the British healthcare system would benefit if other types of non-medical care such as osteopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, homeopathy and herbal medicine, were included. The study ordered by the Prince, claims that care such as chiropractic, acupuncture and osteopathy should play a greater role in the National Healthcare System (NHS).

The article notes that Prince Charles has been a longstanding advocate of complementary and alternative medicines. The article also noted that the nine-month study focused on five popular types — osteopathy, chiropractic, acupuncture, homeopathy and herbal medicine. Britons spend a considerable amount of money each year on these types of care and they are becoming increasingly popular.

Some of the positive statistics that came out of the study showed that patients were treated with what the study called "complementary therapies", then showed a 30 per cent drop in the number of consultations with more expensive visits to general medical practitioners. Additionally, there was a 50% saving in prescription drug bills in the groups who used these forms of care.

The article closed with a quote from a spokesman from the British Department of Health who said: "Many GPs now give access to some form of complementary therapy — a recent study by Sheffield University showed that almost half of all general practices in England gave access to some form of complementary therapy."