§ Mrs. FyfeTo ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps are taken to ensure health boards are provided with guidance on the provision of infertility treatment and counselling.
§ Mr. Stewart[holding answer 14 June 1993]: Good practice guidance and advice on the organisation and management of all aspects of infertility treatment, including counselling, is contained in the National Medical Advisory Committee's report on infertility services in Scotland, which was published on 10 March. This report has been issued to health boards and commended to them for implementation.
Guidance to licensed centres on the provision of treatment, again covering counselling, is also contained in the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority's code of practice.
NHS Staff: WTE for selected groups at 30 September 1988–1992 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 District nurses1 1,190.5 1,226.4 1,211.5 1,713.4 1,691.8 Community midwives 172.4 194.0 208.2 276.7 272.7 Health visitors1 1,517.9 1,559.6 1,508.6 1,546.2 1,497.3 Community psychiatric nurses n/a n/a n/a 342.6 356.3 Practice nurses2 205.2 295.3 583.5 646.8 743.6 1 Data include registered and enrolled nurses working in district nursing/health visiting but not qualified as district nurses or health visitors. 2 Data for 1988–91 are at 1 April whereas that for 1992 is at 1 October. n/a = Data not available.
There are also combined duty staff as below 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 Health visitor/district nurse 3.0 3.0 7.0 31.9 30.2 Health visitor/district nurse—community midwife 121.3 113.7 114.7 134.2 127.7 District nurse/community midwife 447.7 438.3 415.3 359.8 350.7 Health visitor/community midwife 15.0 19.0 23.3 39.0 38.1