Mr. Tom Ellisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services whether, after consulting his medical advisers, he will express a view as to whether training in homoeopathy is not of sufficient relevance to modern medical practice to warrant financial support for courses for general practitioners; and whether his Department recognises homoeopathy as a branch of medicine together with the clinical freedom of qualified practitioners to practise homoeopathy.
§ Mr. Moyle, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 15th May 1978; Vol. 950, c. 45], gave the following information:
The scope and content of postgraduate medical education are matters for the professional educational bodies concerned, especially the Council for Postgraduate Medical Education. The council's view is that training in homoeopathy is not of sufficient relevance to modem medical practice to warrant financial support for courses for general pracititioners, and it has so advised the postgraduate medical deans of universities upon whose approval financial support for courses depends. I and my medical officers accept the council's advice on this matter.
I and my predecessors have accepted that homoeopathic treatment should remain available within the National Health Service for as long as there are doctors willing to practice it and patients seeking to receive it. While qualified practitioners have the clinical freedom to practice homoeopathy, very few doctors choose to prescribe homoeopathic remedies.