§ Mr. Campbell-SavoursTo ask the Secretary of State for Health which health authorities in the United Kingdom provide IVF treatment to women whose spouses have children by a previous marriage; and what was the cost of such provision to each authority in the last two financial years. [92581]
§ Ms JowellInformation is not currently available in the form requested. However, a College of Health survey of health authorities (commissioned by the240W National Infertility Awareness Campaign in 1998) lists 70 health authorities which had formal eligibility criteria for assisted conception. Details can be found in the survey report, copies of which are available in the Library.
Information on the cost of providing National Health Service infertility treatment to individuals with existing children is not collected.
The Department is currently conducting a survey of health authority provision of infertility services in England. This should provide information on eligibility criteria used by all health authorities. The results of the survey are likely to be available later in the year.