Health written question – answered at on 15 June 2005.
To ask the Secretary of State for Health
(1) what guidance her Department has provided to (a) strategic health authorities and (b) primary care trusts on the eligibility criteria for IVF treatment provided by the NHS since 25 February 2005;
(2) whether her Department has issued guidance to (a) strategic health authorities and (b) primary care trusts on how to prioritise fertility treatment for patients according to social criteria;
(3) what steps her Department has taken to assess compliance with the announcement on the availability of IVF treatment made by the then Secretary of State for Health on 25 February 2005;
(4) how many primary care trusts have produced clinical guidance on the availability of IVF treatment to women in their area following the announcement made by the then Secretary of State for Health on 25 February 2005.
On
"NICE'S guideline on NHS fertility treatment services was published on
the Department will be looking to PCTs who provide no IVF treatment to meet minimum national level of provision of one cycle of IVF by April 2005 in the longer term he would expect the NHS to make progress to full implementation the priority is to help those in greatest need—that must mean couples who have no children living with them."
The Department and the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) recognised that it would take time for the guideline to be fully implemented across the NHS. The primary responsibility for implementing NICE guidelines rests with the NHS at local level. The consideration that primary care trusts (PCTs) give to this is part of the range of factors that they, in liaison with local health bodies and patients groups, take into account in deciding their policy on the provision of treatment services for their locality. This policy will, quite rightly, reflect local health needs and priorities.
Compliance with NICE guidance by NHS organisations will be considered by the Healthcare Commission during its review and performance assessment processes.
We do not collect information centrally on the local provision of assisted treatment services or the guidance that PCTs issue about it.
Yes0 people think so
No1 person thinks not
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