Meeting: Health Scrutiny Sub-Committee (County Hall, Durham - Committee Room 2 - 03/07/2006 10:00:00 AM)
Item: A10 Fertility Treatment
3 July 2006
Fertility Treatment in County Durham
Report of the Head of Overview and Scrutiny
Purpose of Report
1. To provide information about fertility services in County Durham.
Background
2. The Primary Care Trusts in County Durham and Tees Valley have reviewed the management of infertility and the provision of assisted conception treatment locally. A working group led by Derwentside Primary Care Trust carried out a review with the aim of ensuring equitable access to improved fertility services for couples experiencing problems of infertility. The general position prior to the review was that there were different levels of provision across County Durham and Tees Valley. One of the main aims of the review was to seek to ensure that there is equitable access to fertility treatment provided by the National Health Service in this area.
3. The main recommendations of this review are that:-
A common set of eligibility criteria for fertility treatment in County Durham and Tees Valley should be adopted.
Previously, very few couples were offered intrauterine insemination. It is proposed that couples who are eligible should have the opportunity to have up to six cycles of this treatment as recommended by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence before being offered other forms of treatment.
All Primary Care Trusts in County Durham and Tees Valley should offer one full cycle of in vitro fertilisation. Previously, couples were not offered a full cycle.
The feasibility of offering three cycles of in vitro fertilisation from 2010 is to be examined.
4. The review, which was led by Dr. Anne Low from Derwentside PCT, is helpful in explaining the progress in this area.
Recommendation
5. You are recommended to note this information.
Contact: Ian Mackenzie
Attachments