MP demands inquiry into lack of NHS fertility treatment

A Conservative MP, from Fareham in Hampshire, has written to the UK's Healthcare Commission, which looks into complaints against the NHS, to ask for an inquiry into the provision of fertility treatment in the county. Mark Hoban is MP for a constituency where no fertility treatment is provided on the NHS.

Last month, it came to light that ten PCTs in the county of Hampshire are refusing to fund IVF treatments, despite government promises to end the 'postcode lottery' of the provision of fertility treatment in the UK. They said that, because of limited funding, IVF has to be a low priority. The decision was taken after a series of group meetings, after which the PCTs were left to make their own individual decisions based on other guidance and legal advice. At the time, a spokeswoman for two of the PCTs said that treatment would be offered as and where funds actually became available, adding that 'the decision was not taken lightly and was absolutely necessary to ensure we have sufficient funds to invest in other important areas of care'. She also said that funding would continue for those couples who have already started their treatment in the county.

In February 2004, the then health secretary, Sir John Reid, announced that all infertile couples fitting certain criteria should be given one free cycle of IVF on the NHS from April 2005, with a view to increasing provision further. Prior to his announcement, the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) had issued guidelines stating that three cycles of IVF should be offered to all infertile couples.

Mr Hoban MP said that despite the sophisticated nature of modern treatments, too many people were being denied access to the 'basic minimum': 'for a lot of people the cost of going private is too high. They saw this as their opportunity to have children, which they feel they have been denied', he said.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Executive is planning to revise rules to make the provision of fertility treatment fairer in Scotland. National guidelines were issued in 1999 by the Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland (EAGISS), with the intention of ensuring equality of access to treatment. But a review undertaken in 2000 revealed that many health boards were ignoring the guidelines, and refusing to provide IVF to enough couples. A survey by Infertility Network Scotland earlier this year found that some health boards are still continuing to defy the guidelines, and do not allocate enough money to the provision of treatments, resulting in a continued 'postcode lottery'. Dr Richard Fleming, from Glasgow Royal Infirmary, said that 'we have found that, overall, the provision has probably declined since the original EAGISS report was published'.

Next month, Scottish ministers are expected to unveil new measures designed to bring fertility treatment into line with the rest of the UK. These will recommend an extension to the age limit at which women can receive treatment to 41, as well as to the number of embryo transfers that can be provided on the NHS. It will also recommend that a limit should be placed on the time that can be spent on a waiting list.