Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether decisions by clinical commissioning groups to decommission fertility services contravene the principle of equality of access to NHS services.

The level of provision of local health services available to patients, including fertility treatment is a matter for local healthcare commissioners. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have a statutory responsibility to commission healthcare services including fertility services that meet the needs of their whole population. In respect of National Health Service fertility services, the Government have been consistently clear that we expect CCGs to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence guidelines, so that there is equal access across England. The Government has also been consistently clear that not providing any routine fertility service for in vitro fertilisation is unacceptable.

Discussions are continuing with NHS England about how these equity issues can best be addressed.