Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to ensure (a) that Integrated Care Boards are (i) required and (ii) resourced to deliver fertility services in accordance with NICE guidelines entitled Fertility problems: assessment and treatment, published on 20 February 2013 and (b) equality of access to fertility treatments across England.

In the light of broader pressures on the National Health Service and on-going changes within NHS England, we have been looking again at achievable ambitions to improve access to fertility services and fairness for all affected couples.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is currently reviewing their guidelines, Fertility problems: assessment and treatment, which will be the clinical standards for the future NHS offer.

The Department is also considering how best to support integrated care boards to improve their local offer.