§ Lord Colwynasked Her Majesty's Government:
In view of the Secretary of State for Health's assurances on many occasions, the last on 15th June 1992, that chelation therapy is available on the NHS on the recommendation of a registered medical practitioner, what action they will take in the case of three patients in the North West wishing to have chelation on the NHS, who have been recommended for treatment by their GP but who have been refused by the district commissioning units of their responsible area health authorities.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Health (Baroness Cumberledge)Chelation therapy is available on the National Health Service. It is recommended for use in certain conditions, including thalassaemia. However, there is no medical evidence that it is beneficial in the treatment of other conditions such as cardiovascular disease.
We are aware of only two instances within North Western Regional Health Authority (RHA) involving chelation therapy. One was an enquiry from a member of the public to the RHA. In the other case, the patient's GP has not recommended a referral for this type of treatment.