Mr. Tom Ellisasked the Secretary for State for Social Services if he will list the hospitals in England where acupuncture is available as a medical treatment under the National Health Service.
§ Mr. MoyleI regret that the information is not available.
Acupuncturists, as such, are not employed in the National Health Service, but registered medical practitioners employed in National Health Service hospitals are at liberty to use acupuncture as a treatment if they consider this to be in the best interest of a patient, they consider themselves qualified to use it, and the patient agrees. It is not known how many do so, or in which hospitals.