Paul Curran, a Newcastle-based health specialist, is appealing to a number of politicians and health officials and local media editors to examine the possibility that a vitamin-based approach to medicine is in fact a very sound approach and that modern medicine is ‘less healthy’.
He said: “Local Councillors Naomi Bailie, Patrick Brown, Willie Clarke, Laura Devlin, South Down MP Margaret Ritchie, Chris Hazzard MLA, John McCallister MLA,Sean Rogers MLA, Jim Wells MLA, Chief executive of the Southern HSC Trust Hugh McCaughey, and local media editors, Dr Denvir, Dr Dillon, Dr Hyland, Dr Leggett, and Dr Greer. But he said to Down News that he really wanted to reach out to a much wider audience of politicians and health professionals to initiate a debate on the merit of using vitamins to transform the shape of the health service.”
“We need the cooperation of government to help rethink where we are on our journey of health and medicine. A number of people have clearly mentioned this to me that this alternative to finding good health seams a positive one and has merit and should be explored more. Many people in our society are hanging on the fringe of bad health and are fed a drip of prescriptions.
“The first responsibility of government is the protection of its people. This clearly applies at every level both national and local. As key members of the community entrusted with public health, and as locally elected representatives, you will share this understanding and wish to ensure that we are best served by the National Health Service especially when it is under unrelenting cost pressures. I hope everyone who reads this will watch the video link attached. Just let it speak for itself.
“It is an incredible eye-opener in the world of health. It is the work of NI filmmakers Trevor King and Michael Beattie and since some of it is filmed in Tollymore Park, it speaks to your constituents addressing real issues of chronic disease.
Mr Curran added: “In the introduction, Trevor King also speaks of the high rates of depression and suicide in Northern Ireland. To make this film they have travelled extensively in the USA and interviewed qualified doctors practising complementary medicine. Countless examples are given of curative and inexpensive treatments of ailments from arthritis to cancer. In a nutshell vitamin treatments can cut the enormous health bills we’re are faced with and will produce very positive health outcomes.
“It is clear that good health is achievable by almost anyone prepared to work for it. Viewing this movie is a must for any concerned parent or anyone prepared to think differently about their ailments. The views expressed are a direct challenge to the status quo in our pharmaceutically-dominated, healthcare provision and deserve your attention.
“There will be free viewing until 14 January 2016 on the link:
www.thatvitaminmovie.com
“As we start 2016, isn’t it time to think creatively about how best to protect our citizens by curing illnesses rather than managing and milking them? Just watch the video link, you will be amazed.”
However… a contrary position appears to be taken by the NI Health Minister Simon Hamilton favouring a different medical model, one that is pharmaceutical and technical based. In a statement released today, the Health Minister congratulates local health companies who take a position diverging from the vitamin health model.
Initiatives Will Develop New Technology To Improve Benefits Of Medicines Says Hamilton
Two of Northern Ireland’s small businesses have been awarded £0.8m funding to proceed to Phase 2 of the Small Business Research Initiative (SBRI) for Medicines Optimisation.
Health Minister Simon Hamilton and Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell made the announcement today and congratulated companies, Appattic and Smartair Medical on their success. The SBRI initiative aims to develop new technology solutions to optimise the health benefits of medicines by supporting people to take the right medicines at the right time and as prescribed.
Phase 1 of the competition started in January 2015 and six projects were selected to test the technical feasibility and proof of concept of their solutions. Phase 2 seeks to further develop these solutions towards commercialisation and test and evaluate their impact on medicines adherence in patients in Northern Ireland.
Minister Hamilton commented: “Medicines are the most common medical intervention within the Health and Social Care Service (HSC) costing over £550million per year. As the population ages, demand for medicines is expected to rise and attention is needed to ensure that patients gain the best possible outcomes from their treatment.
“Evidence shows that between a half and a third of medicines prescribed for long term conditions are not taken as recommended. Non-adherence can have serious consequences for the individual, resulting in poorer than expected clinical outcomes, reduced quality of life, deterioration of health and unplanned admission to hospital as well as wastage. Tackling non-adherence is one of the themes of my Department’s Medicines Optimisation Quality Framework and these initiatives will enable the HSC Service to continue to connect with the technology industry to develop creative and innovative solutions that meet patients’ needs.
“We attracted some strong proposals through the Phase 1 competition and it was difficult to select which companies would go on to Phase 2. The successful companies are working on some exciting products tackling the really important area of medicines adherence and have the potential to greatly enhance the way we use technology.”
The competition has been developed by the Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety in partnership with the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and Innovate UK with support from the Health and Social Care Board and Invest NI.
Enterprise Minister Jonathan Bell commented: “The Executive’s Innovation Strategy recognises the importance of innovation as the key driver of productivity. It drives growth and investments in innovation are estimated to account for almost two thirds of productivity growth in the UK. Companies who innovate are more productive, employ more staff and are more likely to export.
“Through SBRI all public sector bodies have an opportunity to use their spending power to drive economic growth and improve public sector productivity. SBRI uses the buying power of the public sector to facilitate innovation within the economy and by using specifications to allow companies of all sizes, including start ups, to compete and win contracts to develop new solutions for the public sector.
“This Medicines Optimisation project clearly demonstrates that by using SBRI the public sector can use innovation to help improve outcomes and efficiency. I particularly welcome this project, the first Northern Ireland healthcare SBRI, as a concrete example of the productive collaboration between health and enterprise which can improve the health and wealth of our region.”
Stephen Browning, Head of SBRI, Innovate UK said: “It is really good to see the continued support that Northern Ireland are giving to innovation through SBRI. These competitions benefit both the public sector through access to new innovative solutions and suppliers and industry by providing a lead customer with whom they can develop their ideas.”
