HealthSense is the new name for HealthWatch Find out more.

History

The idea behind the charity originally registered as HealthWatch, now renamed HealthSense, was first put to journalist and broadcaster Nick Ross in the 1980s by the eminent cancer surgeon Professor Michael Baum. “Michael told me about some tragic cases he’d seen at his breast cancer clinic — women whose condition had disintegrated into suppurating sores because they'd shunned conventional treatment in favour of various alternative therapies that were just not working”.

Nick Ross was among a small group of professionals who met to share Professor Baum’s concern at patients risking their health, not to mention wasting their money, on unproven treatments. HealthWatch was born, with Nick appointed joint president with Michael O'Donnell.

HealthWatch Inaugural Meeting

Inaugural meeting

The group's inaugural meeting was held on 1 November 1988 at The Old Bell Tavern in Fleet Street, followed by gatherings at the Royal Society of Medicine. Finally a committee was elected towards the end of the first year whose members included the pathologist Professor Vincent Marks, the medical nutritionist Professor John Garrow, lawyers Diana and Malcolm Brahams, and medical journalist Caroline Richmond.

Originally named the Campaign against Health Fraud, it was changed to HealthWatch at our second AGM, held on 12 July 1990, and registered as a charity. It went on to be renamed HealthSense in 2022, in response to confusion resulting from the government's newer initiative "Healthwatch England".

Today

While initially concerned with unproven treatments, over the years we have widened our area of concern and now promote evidence and integrity in all forms of medicine and healthcare. Being completely independent, HealthSense is able to oppose poor evidence whether it is found in alternative remedies, clinical research, pharmaceutical products, government-run programmes, or the media.

Nick Ross continues as HealthSense’s president. Its patrons are Dr Margaret McCartney, comedian Robin Ince, Professor Steve Jones FRS, Sir Michael Rawlins, and Lord Dick Taverne.

Constitution

Download our constitution, as amended and agreed at the Annual General Meeting held on 06 October 2021.

Archive

Constitution uo to 06 October 2021

Constitution up to 29 October 2019

Frequently asked questions

 

What is HealthSense?

HealthWatch was registered in the UK as a charity in July 1991, and renamed as HealthSense in January 2022 (Registered Charity no. 1003392).

All our members and committee are volunteers.

We are not associated in any way with the government initiative 'Healthwatch England'.

What are the objects of HealthSense?

The objects of the charity are the advancement for the public benefit of medical knowledge, training and care in all its branches and in particular the development of good practices in the assessment and testing of treatments and the conduct of clinical trials generally and the promotion of high standards of health care by practitioners.

What does HealthSense do?

Our members report misleading advertising and the marketing of unproven medical products, and get local and national press interested in our work.

We share our successes and failures, tips and experience, and support each other, on a Google group and via our quarterly newsletter.

We publish a quarterly newsletter with interesting essays, news on our volunteers' initiatives, and comment on evidence-based medicine.

We present an annual award to an individual who has helped promote evidence and truth in medicine.

We run the HealthSense Student Prize competition which challenges the ability of students of medicine and allied professions to assess clinical trial protocols.

We host public debates on topics of interest.

We are proud to have been able to lend our support to those whose careers and livelihoods have been jeopardised by their speaking out against misconduct in clinical trials.

Who pays for HealthSense?

We are funded primarily by membership subscription, which covers our newsletter production and public events. That means we can stay independent of vested interests and outside influence.

We have received generous donations from a number of individuals and charitable trusts.

We are independent of industry and receive no funding from pharmaceutical companies.

We are grateful to the Royal College of Surgeons of England for their sponsorship of our student prize competition for critical appraisal of clinical research protocols.

Enquiries and further information

For press and other enquiries, please contact us.