Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if he will extend the patient age limit to ensure that all fertility patients in England will remain eligible for NHS-funded care despite delays caused by the covid-19 outbreak.

The Government expects clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) to give fair consideration to all patients who have had fertility treatment delayed so that no one misses out on treatment due to COVID-19.

NHS England has agreed a joint statement with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, to encourage CCGs to give special consideration to the need for flexibility and sensitivity for individuals whose waiting times, investigations or planned treatment have been disrupted due to COVID-19. This is to ensure that all women and their partners seeking fertility treatment are treated fairly. The statement was sent to the National Health Service on 6 November 2020.