PHE is an executive agency of the Department of Health, which aims to protect and improve the nation’s health and wellbeing, and reduce health inequalities. At a Parliamentary meeting earlier this year, Duncan Selbie (Chief Executive) presented some of PHE’s specific targets, such as encouraging self-care and promoting healthier lifestyles, which are key elements of […]

Studies comparing the effectiveness of homeopathy and conventional medicine have shown that homeopathy can produce as good as, or even better results than conventional medicine. Treatment of specific medical conditions Upper respiratory tract infections A multi-centred international study found that homeopathic treatment in primary care was non-inferior to conventional treatment for acute upper respiratory and […]

In August 2005, the Lancet published a study1 which was reported as having compared 110 similar trials on homeopathy and conventional medicine, and reached the conclusion that homeopathy is no better than placebo. An accompanying editorial entitled ‘The end of homoeopathy’2 lead to widespread media attention. However, the conclusions of this study were based on only 8 of the 110 trials, none […]

It is often reported that there is no evidence homeopathy works or that the current evidence base shows homeopathy is no better than placebo. Neither statement is correct. Such misconceptions stem largely from two documents – the UK House of Commons Science and Technology Committee ‘Evidence Check 2: Homeopathy’ report, and the more recent Information Paper on […]

Public figures from politicians to comedians frequently make strong statements against homeopathy, but it is rare to find people who actually have first-hand knowledge of the facts behind the headlines. Here we look at the biggest stories in detail:

The Homeopathy Research Institute (HRI) welcomes attempts to critically evaluate the evidence base for homeopathy, providing this is done accurately and objectively. Sadly, the draft Information Paper on Homeopathy recently released by Australia’s National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) is based on an evidence review which fails on both these counts. The Information Paper […]

What is this project about? Symphytum officinale (a member of the Boragninaceae family) has been used as a medicinal plant for centuries, often being referred to by the common names ‘Comfrey’ and ‘Knitbone’. Symphytum’s specific role in bone healing can be traced back even further, being used by Roman soldiers to treat combat bone fractures […]

Lead Researcher – Dr Petter Viksveen Completed September 2018 What is this project about? This project, carried out as part of a PhD programme at the University of Sheffield, evaluated the impact of providing homeopathic treatment in addition to usual care, for patients with self-reported depression. Multiple research methods were combined to assess the acceptability […]

What is this project about? This project evaluates the effectiveness of homeopathic treatment as experienced in clinical practice for children with ADHD. The project consists of a series of increasingly robust research studies starting with a case series: 20 children received treatment by a homeopath for a year, and the outcomes were compared with 10 […]

Promoting high quality scientific research in homeopathy Conducting poor quality research is a waste of time and money. Therefore, to qualify for support from HRI, projects must first pass a peer review process conducted by our Scientific Advisory Committee. This ‘quality control’ system enables us to confidently channel donations and expertise to only the most promising […]