Experts say there is no scientific evidence behind the blood service, which is often used to convince patients to spend more money.
A growing number of alternative health clinics across the country are offering a costly blood-screening service that medical experts say is “bogus”.
Patients are paying more than $100 for the service, known as Live Blood Analysis. Some of these patients are later turning up at their general practice orhospitals seeking treatment for non-existent health problems.
Live Blood Analysis, also known as hemaview or nutritional blood analysis, involves looking at blood cells by illuminating them through a microscope. It is usually promoted by alternative health practitioners who claim it can detect infections, inflammation, organ health, toxicity or “nutrient imbalances”.
Experts said there were legitimate ways to screen blood for medical conditions but the method being advertised by these practitioners was “nonsense” and should not be used to detect health conditions.
The country's health system is already under pressure and having to deal with wrongly diagnosed or non-existent conditions adds to the workload.
“It is very dubious at best,” said Terry Taylor, former president of the New Zealand Institute of Laboratory Science. ”From a professional point of view, we 100% refute it. You cannot tell from a whole blood analysis whether someone has a blood disorder or organ disorder. There is zero science to it and it’s quackery.”
‘Popping up everywhere’
Taylor was alarmed by how many New Zealand health centres were offering the service.
“They seem to be popping up everywhere. And they are not regulated in any way, there is no oversight.”
The Herald found that at least a dozen health centres in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, Nelson and Blenheim were promoting Live Blood Analysis online. Most of them are alternative health practices staffed by nutritionists, naturopaths and herbal medicine practitioners. Some of the practices used the blood assessments to offer further treatments or products, such as dietary supplements.
The Herald revealed last month that an ex-convict was promoting Live Blood Analysis and other alternative health services at an Auckland clinic.
It is understood that a complaint has been laid with the Medical Council against the GP who runs the practice. The Medical Council said it could not comment on individual cases, but a whistleblower who made the complaint said the council had now written to the GP.
The Auckland clinic took down its social media, contact details and booking information after the Herald made inquiries last month. The GP did not respond to a request for comment.
‘Worried as hell’
Taylor said he was aware of cases in which patients who had been told they had a health condition as a result of Live Blood Analysis had then sought help from their GP.
“About a week ago, we got a blood form from a patient and it had ‘abnormal whole blood analysis’ on the form. Of course, we did all the blood work and it was dead normal for everything.
“That is the problem that the health system is having to deal with. These people are going to their GPs, worried as hell that something is wrong with them.”
An expert says he was aware of cases in which patients who had been told they had a health condition as a result of Live Blood Analysis had then sought help from their GP.
Dr Jim Faed, a haematology expert at the University of Otago’s Medical School, reviewed the information and images that some clinics had published online.
“They’ve got a dark field view of red cells. Some of them are showing a thick film, and some of them are showing a thin film. One of them was described as before and the other is described as after.
“That in itself is fraudulent, because it is not showing a change in the blood. It’s just that the blood happened to be thick at one end of this film they were showing and quite thin at the other. As for saying things about the actual health status of the person, well – absolute nonsense.”
Legal grey area
Taylor said patients had a right to seek alternative healthcare.
But there were a number of concerns about this particular blood analysis. Vulnerable patients could be taken advantage of; patients were being misled about the health benefits; and an under-pressure health system was having to deal with wrongly-diagnosed or non-existent conditions.
The practitioners using Live Blood Analysis are working in a regulatory grey area.
A Ministry of Health spokeswoman said taking blood samples in itself was not a “restricted activity” under the law – meaning it was not limited to registered health practitioners.
However, experts said some of the treatments being offered required a medical qualification.
The ministry spokeswoman also said providers were breaking the law if they made false or misleading representations about the benefits of their services.
“They must also avoid any misrepresentation about their status, including any suggestion they are operating as a health practitioner, when offering or providing health services.”
Many of the practitioners who were promoting the service emphasised on their website that it was not a diagnostic tool. They said that it simply provided a snapshot of a person’s health.
Faed said that if a practitioner diagnosed a health condition based on the blood screening, they could be open to legal action or a formal process.
Even if they did not provide a diagnosis, they could still be acting unethically.
“If they’re saying this is just a health condition that has affected you, and claim to have seen evidence in the blood, then they’re completely misleading the person that provided the blood and causing unnecessary distress and concern.”
The health centres contacted by the Herald did not respond by deadline.
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