- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what the budget for assisted conception services has been in each year since 2000, also broken down by NHS board.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
No specific funding is made available for assisted conception services in NHSScotland. NHS boards receive an allocation to meet the health care needs of their resident population. It is for boards to decide how best to utilise this funding to meet national and local priorities.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there is an appropriate age limit to restrict access to assisted conception services for women and, if so, what this is.
Answer
Current national criteria states that the female partner should be aged less than 40 years at the time of treatment. This is one of a number of issues being looked at by the National Infertility Group. The group will provide an initial progress report to ministers within the agreed timescale.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what the average waiting time is for couples referred to the tertiary fertility services, also broken down by NHS board.
Answer
This information is not held centrally, but the most up to date information on waiting times is contained within the NHS board survey carried out by Infertility Network Scotland. The survey is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 49114) and can also be accessed on the Maternity Services website at
www.maternityservices.scot.nhs.uk.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive which NHS boards restrict access to assisted conception services solely to couples with no children resident in their household.
Answer
This information is not held centrally, however the most up to date information on access to assisted conception services is contained within the NHS board survey carried out by Infertility Network Scotland. The survey is available in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 49114) and can also be accessed on the Maternity Services website at
www.maternityservices.scot.nhs.uk.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the relaxation of non-clinical criteria in guidelines on access to assisted conception services.
Answer
This is one of a number of issues being looked at by the National Infertility Group. The group will provide an initial progress report to ministers within the agreed timescale.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it considers that there would be greater equality of access to infertility services if they were centrally funded.
Answer
Central funding for infertility services is not currently being considered by the National Infertility Group.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to alter its guidelines on access to assisted conception services and, if so, when.
Answer
This is one of a number of issues being looked at by the National Infertility Group. The group will provide an initial progress report to ministers within the agreed timescale.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what considerations NHS boards are required to make when developing a policy on access to assisted conception services.
Answer
The policy on access to NHS assisted conception treatment is a matter for individual NHS boards and will be informed by local protocols, funding decisions and current national policy guidelines.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 10 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines it provides to NHS boards regarding access to assisted conception policies.
Answer
The Expert Advisory Group on Infertility Services in Scotland (EAGISS) developed national criteria in 2000 to be implemented by NHS boards. The guidelines, along with the 2007 review can be found on the Maternity Services website at
www.maternityservices.scot.nhs.uk.
- Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 October 2010
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 3 November 2010
To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance it issues to NHS boards on exceptional cases for the funding of assisted conception services.
Answer
The decision to provide NHS assisted conception treatment resides with individual NHS boards and will be informed by local protocols and other guidelines. It is the prerogative of NHS boards to use discretionary powers where deemed appropriate in exceptional circumstances.
