Our ref: NIC 19816-2GHDO

Your ref:

14^th January 2009

Dear Sir/Madam

Re: Information Request - Freedom of Information Act 2000

I can confirm that the NHS Information Centre for Health and Social Care (IC) has considered your query dated the 13^th January 2009.

“Freedom of Information request - Emdr (eye movement desensitization/reprocessing)

How many patients have received this treatment in England in the last ten years.

What research is being done by the NHS to obtain empirical evidence to ascertain its efficacy?... In those ten years?”

The NHS IC has considered the recent Information Commissioner (ICO) guidance on responding to requests from people using pseudonyms or fictitious names to disguise their real identity. I am therefore unable to consider your request at this time. However, I have considered my obligation under section 16 of the FOI Act, namely a duty to provide advice & assistance and feel I should inform you that your request can only be processed when it is made in line with Section 8 (1), (b) of the FOI Act. Specifically, that any request for information does require a real name to be provided in order to process your application.

If you are not satisfied with the way in which your response was handled, you may request a review from the Director of Information Governance, Clare Sanderson, at the above address.

Further information about your right to complain under the Freedom of Information Act is available from the Information Commissioner's Office, Wilmslow, Cheshire, and on The Information Commissioner's website www.ico.gov.uk.

Unless I receive the information required I will assume that your request to the organisation is now closed.

Yours sincerely,

Julie Shippen

Higher Information Governance Officer

The copyright to the information we are disclosing is held by the Information Centre. The re-use of this information for any commercial purpose is subject to the Re-use of Public Sector Information Regulations 2005. Should you wish to re-use this information in any way you must ask us for specific permission relating to that you wish to use. If we agree to such re-use it may be subject to licensing and may involve a fee. Applications for re-use should be submitted to information.governance@ic.nhs.uk. No re-use should take place until you have formally asked for permission and we have informed you of our decision.