Radio 4 You & Yours investigate unregulated ‘live’ blood tests

Thursday’s BBC Radio 4 You & Yours featured a report on live blood analysis.

I won’t go into too much background detail about the technique, the practitioners featured, the Groupon deals I’ve reported to the Advertising Standards Authority or the angry and disappointed customers who found my blog (and subsequently spoke to the media). I have already written about those things extensively (see ‘Further reading’, below).

Let me just share some highlights…

‘Dr’ Who?

A worrying number of alternative health practitioners, all absent from the GMC’s List of Registered Practitioners, continue to enhance their credibility by using the title ‘Dr’.

These ‘doctors’ often carry out unregulated clinical tests and treatments which lack robust evidence to support them. Indeed, many such procedures even lack a plausible mechanism of action.

Some practitioners believe they are able to cure cancer. Some offer to treat autism. Some diagnose ‘invisible illnesses’ not recognised by conventional medicine. In many cases, the tests and therapies provided are not only a waste of time and money, they could also be harmful to consumers.

I wish I could be like Dr Steve

It was no surprise to read on Wikipedia that Ray Davies of the Kinks admitted David Watts is a real person (a concert promoter in Rutland). I expect Paul Weller had a similar individual in mind when he suggested The Jam cover the song  – despite the fact he didn’t want to sing it himself.

We all know a David Watts. That someone who is insufferably good at everything and a success in all they do.