HC Deb 09 June 1998 vol 313 cc538-9W
Mr. Tredinnick

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the research projects on alternative and complementary medicine included in the current NHS research and development programmes. [44347]

Ms Jowell

The following research has been prioritised for funding through the National Health Service research and development programme:

  • complementary therapies in the management of back pain,
  • acupuncture for the management of pain in primary care,
  • the effectiveness of different psychosocial interventions for patients and their families following cancer diagnosis and treatment,
  • evaluating the effectiveness of acupuncture in defined aspects of stroke recovery,
  • multi-centre study of acupuncture for episodic tension headaches,
  • a double blind, randomised, parallel group, study evaluating the efficacy of a homoeopathic remedy in asthma,
  • the use of complementary therapies by women with breast cancer in South Thames region,
  • art therapy as an adjunctive treatment in severe mental illness,
  • non-pharmacological approaches to the management of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS),
  • the efficacy of acupuncture versus local anaesthetic injection in the treatment of myofascial pain in the jaw muscles,
  • assessing the effectiveness of hypnotherapy for pain relief in patients with chronic low back pain,
  • the effect of abdominal massage on the bowel habit of adults with cerebral palsy,
  • Tea Tree oil as an aid to fighting infection,
  • reflexology in the treatment of IBS in a primary care setting.

Mr. Mitchell

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance is being given to health authorities and primary care groups on the inclusion of alternative and complementary therapies in the treatments that may be provided within the NHS. [44369]

Ms Jowell

The Department has issued no guidance to health authorities or primary care groups on the National Health Service provision of alternative and complementary therapies.

Availability of alternative and complementary therapies within the NHS reflects the decisions taken locally by health authorities and general practitioners about the clinical and cost effectiveness of such services and the priority to be given to their provision in the light of other competing demands for the resources made available for local health needs.