Fears for people with long term pain as three health boards fail to back Gartnavel centre

A grim scenario of bureaucrats versus patients is preventing people with long-term illnesses accessing integrated care, a health campaigner has warned.

Catherine Hughes has lodged a petition, which will be debated at the Scottish Parliament this week, claiming three local health boards are denying access to the NHS Centre for Integrative Care (CIC) in Glasgow because of their opposition to homeopathy.

Highland, Lothian and Lanarkshire have in recent years told patients they will not allow them to go to the CIC, which is based at Gartnaval Hospital, despite overwhelming evidence of its effectiveness in treating long-term conditions.

This stems from the belief the centre supports controversial homeopathic approaches that don’t follow conventional medical remedies.

However, the future of the centre is now in doubt unless all of Scotland's health board are prepared to support it.

Boards admit that patient satisfaction levels are 100% in some surveys - Catherine Hughes

The CIC is the only one of its kind in Scotland and takes a patient-centred approach to illness with tailored treatment and therapy strategies being put in place for each individual.

Hughes, who is herself at patient of the CIC, has raised the petition in a bid to ensure that Scotland-wide access to the centre is restored and that the postcode lottery of who is given access to the facility is halted.

Her petition is backed by Labour MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston Elaine Smith.

Hughes explained: “Boards admit that patient satisfaction levels are 100% in some surveys and patients say that they benefit greatly from the integrated approach.

“The reason is not even cost – CIC methods tend to be cheaper. Boards’ reasons were given as their opposition to homeopathy – though the CIC uses many other holistic, complementary and integrated treatments, including conventional methods.

“So a grim case of bureaucrats versus patients has arisen, blowing away all NHS promises to be patient centred and allow patient choice.

“Boards are forcing people to go to their conventional services but many have found these haven’t worked for them.”

Irene Logan secretary of Fibromyalgia Friends Scotland has also backed the petition.

She said: “Lanarkshire Health Board is denying any further patients getting referred to the centre. They have said that they can supply the services in Lanarkshire. This is just not true; we have had several people waiting months for an appointment at a pain clinic, physiotherapist or psychologist only to be told after one or two appointments that there is nothing that they can be do for them.

“If Lanarkshire Health Board listened to some of the patients who have attended the centre rather than just judge the treatment on homeopathy they would realise how some people cannot manage without the Centre of Integrative Care.”

A spokesman for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said: “The hospital has historically been known as the Homoeopathic Hospital but it offers a more complex and multidisciplinary approach to care.

“A newly defined model of care was therefore introduced in 2011 which better reflects the essence of the care actually provided and centre is now known as the Glasgow Centre for Integrative Care."