Spiritual healing that have been labeled as "voodoo" by its critics is to provide patients with the NHS £ 205 000 research project funded by the National Lottery.

Healers pass their hands over the patient's body to the "healing energy" channel of the affected areas 20-minute sessions designed to see whether the treatment relieves the discomfort.

According to its proponents energy work, "as a set of jumper cables and can relieve mild pain. But critics say that the cure has no scientific basis and the money raised through the lottery should not be used to promote alternative medicine that is pressed when the NHS money.

A Big Lottery Fund grant for the two-year investigation was distributed to charitable healing cool breeze, in collaboration with the University of Birmingham and Good Hope Hospital NHS in Sutton Coldfield.

Three healers Good Hope is to recruit 200 patients with intestinal diseases.

Patients were divided into two groups, one receiving and the other five soon after the three months late. The group, which was compared with time after treatment, which does not exist.

Sukhdev Singh, a consultant in gastroenterology at the coordination of research, said he was encouraged by the results so far.

He added: "For many people, we see the usual treatments do not provide a complete answer to be able to offer treatment, we are able to offer complementary methods of treatments have had good results.".

But a patient said, Good Hope, which has refused to join the process.

"How can a person who runs his hand over, you can make a difference, I really do not know," he said. "I think there's a certain amount of human despair accommodate.

"The healing seems to be based on Buddhist spiritual practice of Reiki, which is ironic, when the Christian doctors and nurses are advised to pray for their patients. "

According Healing Trust, Britain's largest improvements in the organization of which he is a member of the fresh winds, healing works by correcting the "imbalance in the flow of energy." Trust leaflet says that the treatment is usually "no-touch", and that patients are dressed.

He added: "It is normal to feel tingling, warmth, coolness or discomfort that comes to the surface to be released as the work of healing energy or you may feel a thing - it makes no difference to the result ..

The Web site adds fresh winds: .. "The healing energy is all around us In the end, it is universal - part of nature itself according to their individual beliefs, see some healers and recipients of divine energy, while others consider it as a pure universal energy. It is often viewed as simply "love and light." '

Alternative medicine as a healing or homeopathy have been gaining acceptance in the NHS, with support from influential figures like Prince Charles.

Many NHS trusts allow healers to use on a voluntary basis in hospitals, and supporters say it is increasingly clear that the method can be effective.

But critics, including leading scientists and doctors have attacked public funding of such treatment.

Simon Singh, author of Trick or Treatment? Alternative Medicine on Trial, said: "The £ 200 000 must be spent on much better causes. There is no evidence at all that good work of spiritual healing in any way, shape or form other than the placebo effect - when the patient feels better just because they get some attention.

"You can use the money for this lottery is to introduce health in voodoo.

"It's really tragic to spend money this way, when so many real answer medical questions."

Simon Singh, co-author, Professor Edzard Ernst of Exeter University in complementary medicine, said: "It makes a mockery of evidence-based medicine to put public money in this."

Big Lottery Fund, said the results should be presented in the NHS next year to inform their decision whether some complementary therapies in the management of irritable bowel syndrome and inflammatory bowel disease.