__NOTOC__ HealthSense is a UK charity that promotes evidence-based medicine. Its aims are: * The assessment and testing of treatments, whether orthodox or alternative *

Consumer protection Consumer protection is the practice of safeguarding buyers of goods and services, and the public, against unfair practices in the marketplace. Consumer protection measures are often established by law. Such laws are intended to prevent business ...

of all forms of health care, by thorough testing of all products and procedures, and better regulation of all practitioners * Better understanding by the public and the media that valid clinical trials are the best way of ensuring protection HealthSense changed its name in 2021 from HealthWatch after the

Health and Social Care Act 2012 The Health and Social Care Act 2012 (c. 7) is an Act of Parliament (UK), act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It provided for the most extensive reorganisation of the structure of the National Health Service (England), National Health Ser ...

created the

Healthwatch England Healthwatch England is a committee of the Care Quality Commission established under the Health and Social Care Act 2012, which took effect in April 2013. Its role is to gather and champion the views of users of health and social care services, ...

organisation.

Description

HealthSense's President is

Nick Ross Nicholas David Ross (born 7 August 1947) is an English radio and television presenter. During the 1980s and 1990s he was one of the most ubiquitous of British broadcasters but is best known for hosting the BBC Television programme ''Crimewatc ...

and its patrons include Lord

Dick Taverne Dick Taverne, Baron Taverne, (born 18 October 1928) is a British politician and life peer who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Lincoln from 1962 to 1974. A member of the Liberal Democrats, he was a Labour MP until his deselection in ...

, Steve Jones, Margaret McCartney, Sir

Michael Rawlins Sir Michael David Rawlins (28 March 1941 – 1 January 2023) was a British clinical pharmacologist and emeritus professor at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. During his medical career he chaired several executive agencies including the ...

and the comedian

Robin Ince Robin Ince (born 20 February 1969) is an English comedian, actor and writer. He is known for presenting the BBC radio show '' The Infinite Monkey Cage'' with physicist Brian Cox, creating Nine Lessons and Carols for Godless People, co-creatin ...

. HealthSense has a small international membership. It promotes

evidence-based medicine Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is "the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of current best evidence in making decisions about the care of individual patients. It means integrating individual clinical expertise with the best available exte ...

. It publishes the quarterly ''HealthSense Newsletter'' and occasional "position papers" on controversial medical treatments. It was inspired by the oncologist Michael Baum, clinical pathologist and biochemist Vincent Marks, medical journalist Caroline Richmond and others, and began as the Campaign Against Health Fraud mostly targeting unfounded claims by proponents of

alternative medicine Alternative medicine refers to practices that aim to achieve the healing effects of conventional medicine, but that typically lack biological plausibility, testability, repeatability, or supporting evidence of effectiveness. Such practices are ...

and downright

quackery Quackery, often synonymous with health fraud, is the promotion of fraudulent or Ignorance, ignorant medicine, medical practices. A quack is a "fraudulent or ignorant pretender to medical skill" or "a person who pretends, professionally or public ...

, but soon broadened to audit all forms of medical practice, and many of its members are more concerned about unproven orthodox therapies than complementary ones. Nonetheless it still sometimes attracts criticism from some believers in alternative medicine who claim that scientific approaches cannot be applied to their way of working. HealthSense maintains it has no commercial sponsors of any form and relies on membership fees and donations from other charities.

Awards

*The HealthSense Award: Since 1993, HealthSense has given an annual award to people who have made contributions to evidence-based medicine and ethics. *Student prizes: The organisation has an annual research-oriented competition for students in medical fields. HealthSense awards two first prizes of £500 each and up to five prizes of £100 for runners-up.

References

External links

*{{Official website, https://www.healthsense-uk.org Health charities in the United Kingdom Skeptic organisations in the United Kingdom British medical websites 1991 establishments in the United Kingdom