INFERTILITY TREATMENT

Early day motion 568, tabled 8 December 1997 by Lynne Jones (Labour). Signed by 56 members.

That this House notes that one in six couples will require medical asistance to produce children at some point in their reproductive lives and that availability of services for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility is uneven in the United Kingdom; further notes that, in many health authorities and some health boards, the full range of treatments is not made available to those requiring medical assistance to conceive; and consequently calls on the Government to produce national guidelines to ensure that all purchasing authoritites in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland offer a full range of infertility treatments, including IVF and ICSI, so that clinicians can have the freedom to make the judgement as to which treatments will work best for any particular couple thereby ensuring that as many couples are treated, and as cost-effectively, as possible.

Signatures by party: Labour 44, Liberal Democrat 5, Plaid Cymru 3, Labour/Co-operative 2, Conservative 1, UUP 1.