Don't claim acupuncture works, NHS hospital told: Institution criticised over leaflets that made bogus claims about the treatment

An NHS hospital offering acupuncture has been slammed by watchdogs for making bogus claims about how the technique can cure a remarkable range of ills.

The Royal London Hospital for Integrated Medicine (RLHIM), which offers alternative treatments from hypnosis to homeopathy, has been told to stop misleading patients.

The hospital, which is part of the NHS, issued two leaflets boasting about the efficacy of the ancient Chinese therapy,  which involves inserting pins into pressure points on the body.

It claimed that acupuncture could treat a long list of ailments, ranging from gynaecological and urinary disorders to fertility issues, stress, depression, back pain, asthma and high blood pressure.

However, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) consulted medical experts and found there was no robust evidence to back up the vast majority of the cures claimed.

It has ordered the hospital to withdraw the leaflets and to stop making claims for acupuncture that cannot be substantiated by good and independent evidence.

The ruling raises questions as to why millions of pounds taxpayers money is being used to fund alternative health treatments where there is little or no evidence that they work.

The first leaflet issued by the hospital stated: ‘Acupuncture is a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a system of healing which has been practised in China and other Eastern countries for thousands of years.’

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It added: ‘Although often used as a means of pain relief, it can treat people with a wide range of illnesses….Its focus is on improving the overall well-being of the patient, rather than the isolated treatment of specific symptoms.’

However, it then went on to give a long list of conditions treated by the hospital’s doctors using acupuncture.

The hospital subsequently admitted to the ASA that there was insufficient evidence to back up its claims that acupuncture could treat many of the conditions identified in the leaflets.

The hospital admitted to the ASA that there was insufficient evidence to back up its claims that acupuncture could treat many of the conditions identified in the leaflets

These included disturbances of the menstrual cycle, gynaecological disorders, men’s health issues including prostatitis, urinary disorders and fertility, emotional issues, stress, anxiety, depression, addictions, tinnitus, dizziness, vertigo, immune system imbalances, allergies, shingles, gastro-intestinal conditions, upper respiratory disorders such as sinusitis and asthma, and hypertension.

The RLHIM submitted 43 papers as evidence to support its other claims, which were then checked by a medical expert in one of the most complex investigations ever run by the ASA.

It found that claims made for the treatment of hot flushes in menopausal women, period pain, overactive bladder syndrome and facial pain were not substantiated or misleading.

The ASA said there was some evidence that the therapy could offer temporary relief from tension headaches, but not for the hospital’s claims it could treat chronic headache and migraine.

In a damning ruling, the ASA said: ‘We told RLHIM they should not state or imply that acupuncture was efficacious for conditions for which they did not hold adequate evidence.’

The ruling raises questions as to why millions of pounds taxpayers money is being used to fund alternative health treatments where there is little or no evidence that they work

The complaint against the hospital was brought by the Nightingale Collaboration, a campaigning group which was set up to challenge claims made for quack treatments.

Its director, Alan Henness, said: ‘When misleading claims are made in adverts for healthcare products and services, consumers are unable to make fully informed healthcare choices.’

He said: ‘This adjudication is particularly important since the RLHIM is funded by the taxpayer and is part of University College London Hospitals. The legitimacy that being part of the NHS gives must not be abused by making misleading claims.

‘This is a win for consumer choice. We all should expect advertising to only make claims that can be backed by good evidence.

‘The same rules apply to everyone regardless of what product or service they advertise and we certainly should not be lowering standards for health claims.’