Policy for Complementary and Alternative Therapies 1
Document Details: Version: Final v5. Ratified by (name and date of Treatment Policy Clinical Development Committee): Group 5 th April 2018 Date issued for Public Consultation: 14 th May 2018 Equality & Diversity Impact Assessment 13 th April 2018 Birmingham and Solihull CCG Governing Body Sandwell and West Birmingham CCG Governing Body Birmingham and Solihull Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee 2 nd October 2018 5 th December 2018 29 th November 2018 Approved 11 th December 2018 The CCG policy has been reviewed and developed by the Treatment Policies Clinical Development Group in line with the groups guiding principles which are: 1. CCG Commissioners require clear evidence of clinical effectiveness before NHS resources are invested in the treatment; 2. CCG Commissioner require clear evidence of cost effectiveness before NHS resources are invested in the treatment; 3. The cost of the treatment for this patient and others within any anticipated cohort is a relevant factor; 4. CCG Commissioners will consider the extent to which the individual or patient group will gain a benefit from the treatment; 5. CCG Commissioners will balance the needs of each individual against the benefit which could be gained by alternative investment possibilities to meet the needs of the community 6. CCG Commissioners will consider all relevant national standards and take into account all proper and authoritative guidance; 7. Where a treatment is approved CCG Commissioners will respect patient choice as to where a treatment is delivered; AND 8. All policy decision are considered within the wider constraints of the CCG s legally responsibility to remain fiscally responsible. 2
Category: Not Routinely Commissioned Complementary and Alternative Therapies Complementary and Alternative therapies cover a wide range of therapies an evidence review undertaken on behalf of BSol CCG, showed a lack of clinical evidence to support the clinical effectiveness of a variety of complementary and alternative therapies. Acupuncture falls outside of this clinical review and is covered under a separate policy: Acupuncture for Indications Other than Back Pain. Complementary and Alternative therapies are Not Routinely Commissioned due to a lack of evidence to support clinical effectiveness. Homeopathy and herbal treatments are included in the NHS England Guidance to CCGs on Items which should not be routinely prescribed in Primary Care, this policy which reflects this guidance. The national guidance was subject to public consultation during autumn 2017, with local engagement running concurrently. 3
Eligibility Criteria: Complementary and Alternative Therapies Are Not Routinely Commissioned as stand-alone therapies. These include the following interventions: Active release technique Flower essence Meso Acupressure Fresh cell Misletoe Aimspro Functional intracellular Moxibustion (except for analysis fetal breech presentation) - see MTH- 68 vaccine AMMA Gemstone Music Antineoplastons Gerson Myo Neural Naturopathy Antineoplaston Glyconutrients Neutralising Antigens / and sodium clinical ecology / Phenylbutyrate environmental medicine Alexander technique Ozone Api Graston technique Osteopathy Anthroposophical Medicine Pfrimmer deep muscle Applied kinesiology Greek cancer cure; Pilates Guided imagery Art Hair analysis Polarity Auto urine Hako-Med machine (Poon's) Chinese blood (electromedical cleaning horizontal ) Aroma Healing Nutritional Primal medicine Bioenergetic Hellerwork Psychodrama Bach and other flower remedies Herbal Medicine Purging Biofield Cancell Homeopathy Qigong longevity (Entelev) cancer exercises Bioidentical hormones Hoxsey method Radionics Carbon dioxide Humor Ream's testing Cellular Hydrazine sulphate Reflexology (zone ) Chelation for Atherosclerosis Hypno Reflex Therapy Chung Moo Doe Hyperoxygen Reiki Coley's toxin Immunoaugmentive Remedial massage 4
Colonic irrigation Infratronic Qi-Gong Revici's guided machine chemo Conceptual mind-body Insulin potentiation Rolfing (structural techniques integration) Craniosacral Inversion Rubenfeld synergy method (RSM); 714-X (for cancer) Cupping Iridology Sarapin injections Chinese Herbal Iscador Shark cartilage products medicine Chiropractic therapies Kelley/Gonzales Shiatsu Dance/Movement Therapeutic Eurythmymovement Digital myography Kinesiology Tai Chi Dowsing Laetrile Therapeutic touch Ear Candling Live blood cell analysis Thought field (TFT) (Callahan Techniques Training) Egoscue method Maharishi Ayurvedic Traditional Chinese Medicine Medicine Electrodiagnosis according to Voll (EAV) Macrobiotic diet Trager approach Equestrian Magnet Visceral manipulation Essential Metabolics Meditation/transcenden Whitcomb technique Analysis (EMA) tal meditation Essiac Megavitamin Wurn technique/clear Feldenkrais method of exercise Meridian passage Yoga N.B. The alternative and complimentary therapies/disciplines listed above are not exhaustive. This means (for patients who DO NOT meet the above criteria) the CCG will only fund the treatment if an Individual Funding Request (IFR) application proves exceptional clinical need and that is supported by the CCG. 5
Guidance NHS Choices. 2016. Complementary and Alternative Medicines. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/complementary-and-alternative-medicine/ Posadzki P, Watson LK, Alotaibi A, Ernst E, (2013).Prevalence of use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) by patients/consumers in the UK: systematic review of surveys. Clin Med Apr;13(2):126-31. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23681857 The full evidence review with references is available on the CCG website. 6