In Vitro Fertilisation

(asked on 6th October 2017) - View Source

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, if he will continue to work with the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority to develop guidance for clinical commissioning groups in the commissioning of fertility services.


Answered by
Philip Dunne Portrait
Philip Dunne
This question was answered on 12th October 2017

The National Institute for Heath and Care Excellence (NICE) guideline on the assessment and treatment of people with fertility problems provides evidence based best practice guidance for clinicians. There is, therefore, no need for clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to undertake their own evidence reviews. It is the Government's policy that CCGs should have regard to the NICE guideline when commissioning fertility services for which they are responsible. The then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Nicola Blackwood) wrote to the Medical Director of NHS England on 25 May 2017 asking that NHS England re-emphasise to all involved in commissioning fertility services that they should have regard to the NICE guideline as it currently stands.

NHS England and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), together with professional and stakeholder groups, are working together to see how in vitro fertilisation commissioning could be improved. One element of this is the ongoing work to develop a benchmark price that the National Health Service pays for infertility treatments. Commissioning guidance, which aims to improve the quality of commissioning and further encourage the implementation of the NICE fertility guideline, is being produced and will be disseminated by NHS England to all CCGs in England.

The Department will continue to support the programme of work being taken forward by NHS England, HFEA and stakeholders.

Reticulating Splines