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registered interest false more like this
date less than 2019-09-05more like thismore than 2019-09-05
answering body
Department of Health and Social Care more like this
answering dept id 17 more like this
answering dept short name Health and Social Care remove filter
answering dept sort name Health and Social Care more like this
hansard heading Medical Treatments: Greater London more like this
house id 2 more like this
legislature
25277
pref label House of Lords more like this
question text To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they took to ensure that board members of the Clinical Commissioning Groups in South East London read the South East London Treatment Access Policy Document 2019/20 in full before agreeing to it. more like this
tabling member printed
Lord Hunt of Kings Heath more like this
uin HL17753 more like this
answer
answer
is ministerial correction true more like this
date of answer less than 2019-09-09more like thismore than 2019-09-09
answer text <p><del class="ministerial">It has not proved possible to respond to this question in the time available before Prorogation. Ministers will correspond directly with the Member.</del></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The level of provision of local health services, including fertility treatment, available to patients is, and has been since the 1990s, a matter for local healthcare commissioners, who must consider the needs and priorities of all their population. Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have the current statutory responsibility to commission high-quality services that meet the needs of their local population. Decisions about treatment should always be based on patients’ clinical needs.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The Secretary of State has no power to direct individual CCGs in relation to their commissioning functions. The Department has no role in the oversight of individual CCG board activities. If there are concerns about provision of care, we expect NHS England to ensure the CCG is not breaching its statutory responsibility to provide services that meet the needs of the local population. Where performance concerns are identified, NHS England has the ability to exercise formal legal powers to either provide an enhanced support to a CCG, or in rare circumstances to intervene where it is believed that a CCG is failing, or is at risk of failing, to discharge its functions.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">NHS England has advised that the CCGs in south east London have agreed to undertake a rapid review of the NHS South East London’s Treatment Access Policy Document in relation to access criteria for funding in vitro fertilisation (IVF) by the end of November 2019. </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The CCGs have made a public apology for any offence caused by the wording in the Treatment Access Policy Document in relation to single women’s access to IVF treatment and the review document it refers to and agree that this wording is unacceptable. The statement on page 34 is based on evidence from a review of literature undertaken in 2011 by commissioners and public health doctors. The review references literature available at the time.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">The rapid review will also specifically consider issues relating to equality and discrimination in relation to single women. The CCGs will publish the review alongside any changes to the revision of the policy.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">NHS England and NHS Improvement are aware that the CCGs are undertaking a review of the policy, as the body responsible for that policy. All CCG governing bodies were asked to review and approve any changes to the NHS South East London Treatment Access Policy made for 2019/20.</ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial"> </ins></p><p><ins class="ministerial">In taking clinical decisions about fertility treatment and taking account of their public sector equality duty, CCGs should make assessments based on clinical infertility and not on relationship status.</ins></p>
answering member printed Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford more like this
question first answered
less than 2019-09-09T16:57:08.3Zmore like thismore than 2019-09-09T16:57:08.3Z
question first ministerially corrected
less than 2019-09-30T11:14:24.807Zmore like thismore than 2019-09-30T11:14:24.807Z
answering member
4019
label Biography information for Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford more like this
previous answer version
135699
answering member printed Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford more like this
answering member
4019
label Biography information for Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford more like this
tabling member
2024
label Biography information for Lord Hunt of Kings Heath more like this