Health experts raise concerns over free naturopath consultations
Health experts are concerned about the provision of free telehealth consultations with naturopaths through Woolworths group subsidiary Healthylife. Customers can now book a free 15-minute consultation with a naturopath. Dr Nicole Higgins is president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners she says users are risking being given advice with no scientific basis.
Transcript
00:00 As a GP we are really concerned that our most vulnerable patients at a time of a cost of
00:07 living crisis are being targeted by big business to be given some scam health care advice and
00:16 this is a hook that's being used and Woolworths have got a huge conflict of interest here.
00:22 They've got aisles full of supplements and vitamins so we need to think why are Woolworths
00:27 offering this service?
00:28 Yeah, well you mentioned those words they're targeted and scams, they're strong words.
00:33 Woolworths has said our 15 minute naturopath discovery calls are designed to be an introduction
00:39 to a naturopath and how a naturopath might be of assistance to that person's health journey
00:45 and not intended to be a full clinical consultation.
00:49 What is your response to that?
00:53 So naturopaths aren't recognised health providers in Australia and their role is in discussions
00:59 around prevention.
01:00 They're certainly not there to manage or diagnose illness and for health consumers this is something
01:07 that they probably are not aware of and yet are being targeted by big business for this.
01:13 I was reading today in the reports in one of the papers today quoting from the National
01:18 Centre for Naturopathic Medicine at Southern Cross University which states that data out
01:22 of Brazil, Canada and Germany showed naturopathy can be cost effective when it is focused on
01:28 health promotion and dietary and lifestyle interventions.
01:34 So is your response to that that there's no place for naturopathy in the Australian medical
01:40 sector?
01:43 So I'm a GP, I'm based on science and evidence and naturopaths are there to maybe have a
01:50 discussion around prevention and lifestyle but certainly not there for diagnosis and
01:56 management of illness and the promotion of these services we really need to think what's
02:00 the purpose of it and we don't want to go down a medicine style delivery.
02:07 We need to make sure that people have ongoing relationships with their GP and health care
02:11 provider and make sure that we have good outcomes.
02:15 So why do you think then Dr Higgins that Woolworths is stepping into this role?
02:19 Oh come on this is big business.
02:22 There is money to be made and as I said earlier they've got a significant conflict of interest.
02:27 Anyone who's been into Woolies you can walk down there are aisles full of supplements
02:31 and vitamins and we need to think why would a big business step into health care?
02:37 It's because they think that there's money that can be made.
02:40 I'm there to make sure that we look after the quality and safety of consumers health.
02:45 What are some of the dangers that you foresee with something like this when it comes to
02:50 people getting their health information via this?
02:55 So we need to think that a lot of people think that supplements are harmless but anything
03:00 that we put in our mouth whether it be a supplement or something that is prescribed can have risks
03:07 and it can have benefits and we need they can interact with medications that they're
03:11 already taking or have side effects.
03:14 So we need to make sure that this is driven by quality and safety and evidence.
03:19 Given your position on this Dr Higgins what do you think should be put in place to better
03:24 protect consumers who you say are being targeted?
03:31 We need to make sure that consumers actually understand what sits behind this.
03:35 This is being driven by money it's not there because they're concerned about patients health.
03:41 It is really important that people continue their relationship with their regular GP and
03:46 if they do have a naturopath outside that they have that ongoing relationship versus
03:50 fragmenting care through big business.
03:53 Do you foresee a situation where GPs would want the government to step in and regulate
03:59 here regulate certain businesses and where they can vertically integrate?
04:06 So there is regulation in place around telehealth already and making sure that those consultations
04:13 you know do have a face to face component versus text messaging but we also need to
04:18 think about what is best for the health of Australians and we know that continuity of
04:23 care is what delivers the best health outcomes.
04:27 This is fragmenting and you know further fracturing health care.
04:30 [BLANK_AUDIO]