§ Mrs. BeckettTo ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if she will list the health authorities which are not312W purchasing IVF and GIFT infertility treatments plus the percentage of health authorities not purchasing this service; [19793]
(2) what guidance she has issued on the maximum age a woman should receive infertility treatment on the NHS; and if she will make a statement on health authorities which will not purchase IVF/GIFT treatment for women over the age of 35 years; [19794]
(3) if she will list the NHS centres providing IVF and GIFT in England; [19795]
(4) how many IVF/GIFT process treatments were given on the NHS in each of the last five years. [19746]
§ Mr. SackvilleInformation on those health authorities providing IVF and GIFT treatments, the centres in which such treatment is provided, and the number of treatments provided on the national health service in each of the last five years, is not available centrally.
Advice on sub-fertility treatment provision is available to health authorities and clinicians in:
The Effective Health Care Bulletin on "The Management of Subfertility" (August 1992), published for the NHS management executive by a consortium of Leeds and York universities and the research unit of the Royal College of Physicians.The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has also published advice in:
Infertility—Guidelines for Practice" (RCOG Press 1992)Copies of both publications are available in the Library.
Local health authorities are responsible for the provision of local health services, including the provision of infertility services. Decisions about the resources to be made available for these services must be left to individual health authorities as they are in the best position to determine priorities in the light of local needs and circumstances.