Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason accessibility to NHS-funded IVF is determined by local clinical commissioning groups as opposed to being a standardised national service.

Currently clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) commission the majority of health care provision in their locality, as they have the knowledge and experience to arrange the services that best meet the needs of their populations.

National Health Service-funded treatment should be commissioned by CCGs with due regard to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) fertility guidelines, which represent best clinical practice. NICE guidelines are not mandatory.