Smallwood Report
The Smallwood Report, officially entitled The Role of Complementary and Alternative Medicine in the NHS: An Investigation into the Potential Contribution of Mainstream Alternative Therapies to Healthcare in the UK, was a 2005 report promoting the use of so-called "
herbal remedies. Graeme Catto
wrote the introduction. Smallwood is an economist with no background in healthcare.
Criticism
The report was criticized by alternative medicine academic researcher Edzard Ernst,[2] who wrote that it was inaccurate, misleading and that "its conclusions were written before the authors had searched for evidence that might match them". The editor of The Lancet Richard Horton wrote that the report contained "dangerous nonsense".[3]
As a dire consequence of Ernst's response, Charles' secretary
Exeter University to initiate an investigation file on Ernst for misconduct. Although Ernst was exonerated, his department was disbanded due to stoppage of funding and he was forced into early retirement. The role of Prince Charles' royal office has been scrutinized as a result of the interference.[4]