Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what information his Department holds on what professional and ethical standards and requirements apply to practitioners of alternative medicine.

The National Health Service categorises complementary and alternative medicines as therapies that are typically used with the intention of treating or curing a health condition which fall outside of mainstream healthcare.

The Department does not hold information on standards which may be set by professional bodies representing individuals performing alternative and complementary medicine. Anyone seeking alternative or complementary treatments is urged to find a reputable, safe, and qualified practitioner subject to statutory regulation or who is registered on a voluntary register accredited by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care.