§ Ms KeebleTo ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for tackling variations in access to treatment for infertility; and if he will make a statement. [141284]
§ Yvette CooperThe provision of infertility services causes concern to many couples.
We have listened carefully to the representations we have received from couples seeking infertility treatment, and from their Members of Parliament and interested bodies working in the field. And we have been considering how we can best respond to these very genuine concerns about variations in provision. We are placing in the Library a report on a baseline survey of infertility services in the National Health Service in 1997 conducted by the Department.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has produced three sets of guidelines for the management of infertility treatment. We are therefore asking the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) to consider and update these documents to ensure that clinical guidelines, based on the latest knowledge and best practice are available for use throughout the NHS.
We want to see an improved service and greater efficiency for the benefit of patients. We see the referral of these guidelines to NICE as a major step forward in infertility treatment by which we can act positively to improve services and reduce the postcode lottery in this area of health care.