Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if the Government will add homeopathic products and other herbal remedies that have no basis in science to the list of items under review by the NHS.

NHS England is leading a review of low value prescription items which are clinically ineffective, unnecessary, unsafe or inappropriate for prescription on the National Health Service, for example, because they can be purchased relatively inexpensively over the counter, often at a lower price than they cost the NHS.

Initially this work will focus on the top 10 areas of low clinical value as identified by NHS Clinical Commissioners through a survey of their member. Areas it will consider will be determined according to where there is evidence of low clinical value and/or where there is significant NHS expenditure.

Although complementary and alternative medicines (CAMs) are still available for individual practitioners to prescribe, many clinical commissioning groups have already issued guidance relating to their availability on the NHS. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence provides guidance to the NHS on effective treatments that are value for money, and has recommended the use of CAMs in only a limited number of circumstances.