(2) what recent submissions he has received on the withdrawal of funding from complementary and alternative treatments by (a) NHS trusts and (b) primary care trusts;
(3) what recent guidance his Department has provided to (a) primary care trusts and (b) NHS trusts on the provision of funding for homeopathic treatments.
[holding answer 28 January 2008]: The “Our Health, our care, our say” White Paper makes it clear that primary care trusts (PCTs) will hold practices accountable for the use of public money under practice-based commissioning, and that PCTs will be expected to support practices that are innovative and entrepreneurial. This includes working with them to secure services that are needed locally, for example complementary or alternative therapies as a component of patient choice. However, any decisions on the provision of services are the responsibility of local national health service health care organisations, taking account of evidence on the safety and efficacy of the relevant treatments and the availability of suitably trained practitioners.