College of Medicine (UK)

The College of Medicine (CoM) (formerly the College of Integrated Health (2009–10)[1]) is a United Kingdom based organisation founded in 2010 for healthcare professionals and those interested in promoting alternative medicine within the National Health Service. The College originated from the collapse of Charles, Prince of Wales' controversial Foundation for Integrated Health, which closed after allegations of money-laundering and fraud.

Officers and directors

Its officers and associates include current and former senior NHS staff. Its current Vice Presidents are Sir Muir Gray,[2] currently Chief Knowledge Officer of the NHS, Duncan Selbie, who is also Chief Executive of Public Health England and Harry Brünjes, founder of the Premier Medical Group. Its first President was Graeme Catto, former President of the General Medical Council.[2]

Its current Chairman is Michael Dixon.[3]

History

One director of the College, Michael Dixon, is a former director of the Foundation for Integrated Health. A former director of the College, George Lewith, was a council member of the foundation[4] and his research unit at the University of Southampton played an important role in the development of the foundation.[5]

The Foundation for Integrated Health promoted alternative medicine (using the term "integrative medicine") and closed down in 2010 after an accounting fraud.[6]

When the College of Medicine was launched, several commentators writing in the Guardian and the BMJ, expressed the opinion that the new organisation was simply a re-branding of the Prince's Foundation,[7][8][9][10][11][12] some describing it as "Hamlet without the Prince".[2]

Alternative medicine critic and pharmacologist David Colquhoun has argued that the College is extremely well-funded[1] and seemed from the beginning to be very confident of the Prince's support, explicitly describing its mission as "to take forward the vision of HRH the Prince of Wales" in an early presentation.[13]

The College responded to this initial criticism by stating that it aims were to "promote a more politically and professionally transparent, patient centred, and sustainable approach to healthcare, using whatever social or therapeutic approaches are safe, effective, and empowering for patients".[14]

References
  1. David Colquhoun (July 25, 2010). "Buckinghamgate: the new "College of Medicine" arising from the ashes of the Prince's Foundation for Integrated Health". DC's Improbable Science.
  2. Nigel Hawkes (2010). "Prince's foundation metamorphoses into new College of Medicine". 341. British Medical Journal. p. 6126. doi:10.1136/bmj.c6126.
  3. Clarence House (14 September 2013). "Court Circular: September 14". The Times. Retrieved 22 June 2018.
  4. Rouse, Rose (23 February 1999). "Prescribing the good life". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 March 2012.
  5. Lewith, George (January 2005). "Complementary Medicine Research Unit" (PDF). Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2 (3): 399–407. doi:10.1093/ecam/neh109. PMC 1193549. PMID 16136220.
  6. Laura Donnelly (15 May 2010). "Homeopathy is witchcraft, say doctors". London: The Telegraph.
  7. Ian Sample (August 2, 2010). "College of Medicine born from ashes of Prince Charles's holistic health charity". London: The Guardian.
  8. Edzard Ernst (10 January 2012). "College of Medicine is a lobby group promoting unproven treatments". The Guardian.
  9. Jane Cassidy (15 June 2011). "Lobby Watch: The College of Medicine". British Medical Journal. 343: d3712. doi:10.1136/bmj.d3712. PMID 21677014.
  10. David Colquhoun (12 July 2011). "The College of Medicine is Prince's Foundation reincarnated". British Medical Journal. 343: d4368. doi:10.1136/bmj.d4368. PMID 21750061.
  11. James May (12 July 2011). "College of Medicine: What is integrative health?". British Medical Journal. 343: d4372. doi:10.1136/bmj.d4372. PMID 21750063.
  12. Edzard Ernst (12 July 2011). "College of Medicine or College of Quackery?". British Medical Journal. 343: d4370. doi:10.1136/bmj.d4370. PMID 21750062.
  13. David Colquhoun (29 October 2010). "Don't be deceived. The new "College of Medicine" is a fraud and delusion".
  14. George T Lewith; Graeme Catto; Michael Dixon; Christine Glover; Aidan Halligan; Ian Kennedy; Christopher Manning; David Peters (12 July 2011). "College of Medicine replies to its critics". British Medical Journal. 343: d4364. doi:10.1136/bmj.d4364. PMID 21750060.
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