Mr. Tom Ellisasked the Secretary of State for Social Services if payments under Section 64 of the Health Act have been made for the provision of clinical treatment services to patients in the following medical specialities in hospitals: homoeopathic medicine, orthopaedic surgery, gynaecology, dermatology and ear, nose and throat.
§ Dr. OwenSection 64 of the Health Services and Public Health Act 1968 enables my right hon. Friend to give grants to voluntary organisations in the health and social services field which are providing a service similar to one which she or a local authority must or may provide, or are promoting or publicising such a service or a similar one.
The section does not cover grants in respect of treatment for patients in hospitals, but Section 13 of the NHS Reorganisation Act 1973 enables health authorities to enter into contractual arrangements with establishments outside the NHS for the treatment of NHS patients. In England, the longer-stay specialties are mainly involved but some 538W acute medical and surgical treatment is provided under these arrangements.