Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to introduce commissioning guidance on IVF services for clinical commissioning groups.

The level of provision of infertility treatment is decided by local clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) and will take into account the needs of the population overall. NHS England has advised that it recognises that there is a great deal of interest in the quality and availability of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) services, and is developing a benchmark price that the National Health Service pays for fertility treatments, which will become available for use in 2018/19. NHS England is also working with CCGs and various stakeholders including the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, to understand how best to help them commission IVF services.

NHS England has advised that, because CCGs are responsible for the commissioning of IVF, it is essential that any support that is given is developed in partnership with them. That is why NHS England are now working with NHS clinical commissioners, the national member organisation for CCGs, to identify the best way of supporting CCGs. NHS England have advised that any guidance will be led by NHS clinical commissioners and will contribute to their work as appropriate.