Health: Fertility

House of Lords written question – answered at on 3 July 2008.

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Photo of Lord Alton of Liverpool Lord Alton of Liverpool Crossbench

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Further to the Written Answer by Lord Darzi of Denham on 28 February (Official Report, WA 135), how the level of NHS fertility provision has increased since publication of the February 2004 National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence guidelines; and how that compares with the level of government financial support for abortion services in the NHS and privately over the same period.

Photo of Lord Darzi of Denham Lord Darzi of Denham Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Department of Health, Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Department of Health)

Copies of the primary care trust survey on the provision of IVF in England 2007 carried out by the department are available in the Library. It shows that 30 per cent of primary care trusts (PCTs) are offering one fresh cycle of IVF for eligible patients, 36 per cent are offering one full cycle, 27 per cent are offering two cycles and 5 per cent three cycles. Current information is that three PCTs are not providing IVF. We have no direct comparison with provision in each PCT in previous years, although a survey in 2006 indicated that 14 PCTs were providing no IVF.

In 2004, 82 per cent of abortions were funded by the National Health Service; of these, 51 per cent took place in the independent sector under NHS contract. In 2007, 89 per cent of abortions were funded by the NHS; of these, 57 per cent took place in the independent sector under NHS contract.

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