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The appointment of Jeremy Hunt to the post of Health Secretary prompted reaction from members of the scientific community regarding Hunt’s previous statements on homeopathy.
Professor Sir John Krebs, Professor of Zoology at the University of Oxford, said:
“There is overwhelming evidence that homeopathic medicine is not effective. It would be a real blow for those who want medicine to be science-based if the Secretary of State were to promote homeopathy because of his personal beliefs. I hope that “Trick or Treatment” is on his reading list.”
Professor Edzard Ernst, Emeritus Professor at the University of Exeter, said:
“To praise the positive contribution of homeopathy to the NHS does not bode well for the new person in charge of UK healthcare. One can only hope that with the reality of the new job, there will be a more rational insight in the actual evidence on this topic.”