§ Mr. Paul MarsdenTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to make osteopathy treatment available on the National Health Service; and if he will make a statement. [71920]
§ Ms JowellThe availability of osteopathy within the National Health Service, as with any other forms of treatment, reflects decisions taken locally by health authorities and general practitioners about the clinical and cost effectiveness of such services and the priority given to their provision in the light of competing demands for the resources. A report published in 1995 by the Medical Care Research Unit of Sheffield University showed that some 40 per cent. of general practitioner partnerships in England provided some form of complementary therapy for their NHS patients.