The ‘Society of Homeopaths’ withdraws from the ‘Professional Standards Authority’

The UK Society of Homeopaths (the organization of the UK non-medically trained homeopaths) has featured on this blog many times, e.g.:

• The UK Society of Homeopaths, a hub of anti-vaccination activists?
• The Society of Homeopaths have a Code of Ethics, but seem to ignore it. I wonder why!
• How the UK ‘Society of Homeopaths’ prevents its members from practising homeopathy
• The UK ‘Society of Homeopaths’ is surpassing itself
• Drowning in a sea of misinformation. Part 2: The UK ‘Society of Homeopaths’
• The UK ‘Society of Homeopath’ is an anti-vaxx hub that endangers public health (in my humble opinion)
• HOMEOPATHS AGAINST VACCINATION: “The decision to vaccinate and how you implement that decision is yours and yours alone”
• Homeopaths ordered to stop claiming that homeopathy can treat medical conditions
• ‘Dr V’, diabetes, homeopathy and the ‘catastrophic’ consequences of homeopathy
• When the UK homeopathy sector issues a joint statement, hilarity is never far
• Enneagram + homeopathy = ??? (spoiler: nonsense + nonsense = nonsense)
• A truly homeopathic survey
• Homeopathy: does killing holidaymakers via bad advice count as ‘high standards’?
• Homeopathy = hubris in allopathic doses
• Is the BBC biased against homeopathy?

Now, the Society has released the following statement:

The Society of Homeopaths (the Society) has taken part in the Accredited Registers Programme run by the Professional Standards Authority (the Authority) since 2014. This accreditation has provided additional assurance to our members and their patients of the professional standards that we have promoted and maintained for over 40 years.

Public protection, patient safety and patient choice are paramount and built into all the Society’s processes and governance. Accountability is ensured through a balance of representation by practitioners and independent members on the Board as well as on the Society’s professional standards and education committees.

Since July 2020 the Society and its members have put tremendous effort into addressing the concerns of the Authority and following the suspension of our accreditation in January 2021, we said we would take time to consider both the Authority’s report and our own position. This has since been superseded by the Authority’s review of its own accreditation scheme and fee structure in the light of the proposed withdrawal of its government funding.

After a number of consultations with the Authority, it has become clear to the Society that the new fee structure for the Accredited Registers Programme disadvantages smaller organisations in favour of larger bodies, and the fee increase proposed by the Authority to the Society, aside from lacking clarity for the future, effectively prices us out of the scheme. Further changes to the Authority’s standards and criteria are also still to be confirmed. The Board has therefore made the decision to withdraw from the Authority’s voluntary accreditation scheme.

We will continue to strengthen our 43-year tradition of being the most highly valued and professional organisation for homeopaths in the UK. The Society’s mission remains to ensure that patients receive the highest standards of care from our trusted members.

I wonder from which organization the Society of Homeopaths might now obtain an accreditation.

Is there an ‘Unprofessional Standards Authority’?

If not, might they create one?

Watch this space!