HC Deb 02 June 1998 vol 313 cc169-70W
16. Mr. Campbell-Savours

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his review of the case of Mrs. X of Workington, whose name has been supplied to him. [42192]

Ms Jowell

I understand that this case is about a woman who has not been able to obtain in-vitro fertilisation treatment in Cumbria as she is not eligible under the North Cumbria Health Authority's criteria for infertility treatment. Like most National Health Service treatments, infertility treatment is funded through the general funding of health authorities, and decisions about the allocation of resources and about who should be eligible for treatment are the responsibility of individual authorities. We are determined to address concerns that the NHS should provide equality of access to services throughout the country and are currently considering what further advice the NHS should be given on infertility service provision.