An undercover reporter attended a five-day wellness conference in Cheshire where Australian alternative health practitioner Barbara O’Neill delivered advice on medical conditions to paying attendees. Tickets for the residential retreat cost up to £1,300. O’Neill, who has 3.6 million Instagram followers and 1.7 million Facebook followers, has cultivated significant influence despite being banned from providing health services in Australia in 2019 after authorities determined she was “misleading vulnerable people” and making “dangerous claims not supported by evidence.”
During question-and-answer sessions at the conference, O’Neill dismissed conventional medical interventions including antibiotics, vaccines, and scientifically-proven cancer treatments. When asked about treating lupus, she advised attendees to “keep away from the doctor.” She recommended castor oil compresses as treatment for stomach tumours, nasal polyps, endometriosis, carpal tunnel syndrome and bile duct stones. For glaucoma and high blood pressure, she suggested using castor oil with cayenne pepper applied to the eye.
Medical experts consulted by the Guardian stated these recommendations lacked scientific support and could cause harm. O’Neill advised a pregnant woman against taking folic acid, which randomized controlled trials have shown protects against neural tube defects. She recommended that a woman without a functioning thyroid gradually discontinue thyroxine to “see what the body does.” She also instructed a diabetic patient to stop blood glucose testing, claiming it would “balance right out with the change in diet.”
Professors of medicine described these recommendations as potentially life-threatening. Experts noted that untreated diabetes increases risks of blindness, nerve damage, dementia and death. O’Neill’s teachings consistently discourage medical testing, with her stating at the conference that “many tests are creating illnesses.” Following UK and Ireland appearances, health authorities in both countries have raised concerns about her unregulated services and influence over vulnerable populations seeking health guidance.
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