74% support cut to homeopathy funding

Almost three-quarters of people are in favour of the NHS no longer funding homeopathy treatment, a survey suggests.

A public consultation by NHS Lothian asked whether the health board should continue to pay for the therapy, finding that 74 per cent of people in the area were against funding continuing.

A quarter of people in the region were in favour of the NHS paying for homeopathy, while 1 per cent were undecided.

The homeopathy service currently costs around £240,000 a year in Lothian, which includes referrals made to the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital.

Many parts of the NHS in the UK have already pulled funding for homeopathy, including NHS Highland, which withdrew funding in 2010.