New Petitions

PE1873, which was lodged by Graeme Harvey on behalf of the Scottish Hypnotherapy Foundation, calls on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to instruct the NHS to provide hypnotherapy for the treatment of mental health, psychosomatic disorders and chronic pain.

In its submission, the Scottish Government recognises that hypnotherapy may offer relief to some patients but says that it is up to NHS boards to decide which complementary and alternative medicines services are made available—good luck with that. However, the submission states that hypnotherapy does not meet the standard of evidence that is required for recommendation for use as a psychological treatment on the NHS. Similarly, on addressing chronic pain, the Government’s submission points to the Scottish intercollegiate guidelines network guideline, which states that

“No good-quality studies were identified to evaluate the efficacy of hypnotherapy”

and that further research is required.

In response, the petitioner suggests that the main issues are a lack of regulation and a lack of research. The petitioner explains that hypnotherapy is not regulated because the UK Government decided that it is a safe modality and that self-regulation should be sufficient.

Do members have any comments or suggestions? Having been on the petitions committee previously, I am always slightly suspicious when the establishment tries to close such things down on the basis that there is no evidence, because without research and trials there cannot be any evidence. I am nervous about that being the basis on which we agree to not do anything. Is there something that we could do to evidence any research?

That is a good idea and I would be interested to hear whether there has been any enlightenment in the various health boards in relation to alternative medicines and other therapies. I recall from a previous petition that practice was very variable and that some health boards subcontracted the work to other health boards or used their facilities, such as those at the centre for chronic pain or whatever it was that NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde had at the time.

It would be useful to get an update from other health boards. Is there anywhere that we could find any evidence on the issue? I ask the clerks to pursue that. When we are told that the evidence is not there, where can we go to find some evidence?

I sat on the cross-party group on chronic pain and I have come across people for whom some of those alternative approaches have clearly had a benefit. It is sometimes not clear talking to people in the medical establishment that they accept that those approaches can have a benefit.

I note that the UK Government regards hypnotherapy as a safe modality and that self-regulation should be sufficient. Is there anybody in the relevant UK department that we could ask about what it has done to come to that conclusion? We can see. Are members happy to try to establish different routes that we can pursue and keep the petition open?

Members indicated agreement.