Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Answer of 12 October 2017 to Question 106061, on in vitro fertilisation, when the commissioning guidance will be disseminated by NHS England to all clinical commissioning groups.

The Medical Director of NHS England, Professor Sir Bruce Keogh, responded to the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Public Health and Innovation (Nicola Blackwood) on 25 May 2017. A copy of that letter is attached.

The IVF Expert Advisory Group has overseen good progress by NHS England and NHS Improvement toward developing a benchmark price for fertility services. The intention is that this will be ready for use by the National Health Service in the 2018/19 financial year. The commissioning guidance work is also intended to be available for the 2018/19 financial year.