Barbara O’Neill, a 73-year-old naturopath and nutritionist who describes herself as a proponent of “natural self-healing,” is set to conduct a series of speaking engagements and retreats across the United Kingdom and Ireland. The events have prompted concern from prominent academics and health organizations, who have organized a letter to venues expressing alarm about her medical claims and practices.
O’Neill has made various health assertions that contradict mainstream medical evidence, including claims about cancer, vaccines, and antibiotic treatments. She charges thousands of dollars for retreats and telephone consultations. Her scheduled appearances include a five-day retreat at Cranage Estate in Cheshire in early October with ticket prices of £700, and a multi-day event in Ireland mid-October organized by the Christian health and wellness group Balm of Gilead.
In 2019, Australia’s New South Wales Health Care Complaints Commission concluded an investigation into O’Neill’s professional conduct and found she provided selective information to vulnerable populations, including mothers and cancer sufferers, while discouraging mainstream medical treatments. The commission permanently barred her from providing any health services in Australia, either paid or voluntary. However, this ruling has not prevented her from operating internationally.
The letter opposing her UK and Ireland events was organized by Dr. David Robert Grimes, a science communicator at Trinity College Dublin, and signed by multiple prominent figures including the chief executive of Breakthrough Cancer Research, professors from Trinity College Dublin and University College London, and a psychology professor from the University of Cambridge. According to the UK’s Academy of Medical Sciences, 67% of UK adults view health misinformation as a significant problem, with 89% believing it puts lives at risk.
Venues hosting the events have responded by noting they provide spaces to private organizers, while organizers have defended their booking rights. O’Neill’s husband stated the Australian ban contained legal flaws under investigation and disputed claims of patient harm, characterizing complaints as ideological rather than factual.
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