Helen Eadie

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that there is no so-called postcode rationing of access to infertility support and treatment.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The National Infertility Group was set up in April 2010 to address the inequity of access to IVF treatment across Scotland and will submit its report to ministers by the end of December 2012.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether each NHS board has a register of services that have been withdrawn because of a reduction in funding.

Answer · Alex Neil: NHS boards have not received a reduction in funding from the Scottish Government.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a register of every patient who has been refused treatment for fertility problems and, if so, whether this is broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Michael Matheson: There is no centrally held register, broken down by NHS board, of every patient who has been refused treatment for fertility problems.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the provision of infertility treatment in private clinics paid for by the NHS.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Currently all 14 NHS boards in Scotland provide, or refer eligible patients to an NHS centre for, infertility treatment.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that GPs receive updates and training on advances in dealing with fertility problems.

Answer · Michael Matheson: GPs receive updates and training on advances in dealing with fertility problems through medical journals, evidence based update courses provided by the Royal College of General Practitioners, and British Medical Journal learning courses. NHS boards provide GP…

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a managed clinical network for medical teams that deal with fertility problems.

Answer · Michael Matheson: There is no formal managed clinical network for medical teams that deal with fertility problems in NHSScotland.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the framework for supporting patients with fertility problems and their clinicians.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The National Infertility Group will submit its report to ministers by the end of December 2012. Guidance for NHS boards, replacing A National Service Framework for The Care of Infertile Couples in Scotland, will be produced in due course.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with patients' groups about the provision of (a) treatment and (b) support for people with fertility problems.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The stakeholder group Infertility Network Scotland (INS) is a core member of the National Infertility Group, and officials in the Scottish Government have regular discussions and meetings with the charity.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what reports it receives from Infertility Scotland.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Infertility Network Scotland has produced two reports for the Scottish Government since 2009.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an annual report on progress on preventing and treating infertility.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The National Infertility Group will submit its report to Ministers by the end of December 2012. Guidance for NHS boards, replacing A National Service Framework for The Care of Infertile Couples in Scotland, will be produced in due course.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist psychological teams or individuals there are to support people with reproductive conditions.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not held centrally in Scotland. All human fertilisation and embryology authority licensed clinics have to offer counselling to patients about the implications of suggested treatments for reproductive conditions. More information is availa…

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist NHS clinics there are for people with reproductive conditions.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information can be found on the website of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) http://guide.hfea.gov.uk/guide/AdvancedSearch.aspx.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is planning to hold conferences to assess and consider the needs of patients with reproductive conditions who are not receiving treatment.

Answer · Michael Matheson: There are currently no plans to hold conferences to assess and consider the needs of patients with reproductive conditions who are not receiving treatment. The National Infertility Group, set up, in April 2010, has a broad range of infertility experts, inclu…

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to bring together patients, scientists and the medical profession to consider the technological advances made in human reproductive health.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The National Infertility Group, set up, in April 2010, has a broad range of infertility experts, including the patient stakeholder group, Infertility Network Scotland. The group will submit its report, with recommendations on many aspects of infertility treat…

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it measures annual demand and outcome regarding fertility assistance to patients.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The National Infertility Group will submit its report to ministers by the end of December 2012. It is expected that the report will contain some information on annual demand and outcomes.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken research into how many patients consult a GP each year concerning fertility.

Answer · Michael Matheson: No research has been undertaken by the Scottish Government into how many patients consult each GP each year concerning fertility.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last reviewed its guidance on IVF treatment for compliance with the Equality Act 2010.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The National Infertility Group will submit its report to ministers by the end of December 2012. Prior to doing so, the report will be Equality Impact Assessed.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many IVF patients undergo private treatment due to the time taken to access NHS treatment.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not collected centrally in Scotland.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will allow every couple access to at least one round of IVF treatment after two years of investigations.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The National Infertility Group will make recommendations to ministers, including an update on eligibility criteria, by the end of December 2012.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has published revised guidance for NHS boards following the revised recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) on raising the age threshold from 39 to 42 for women seeking IVF treatment.

Answer · Michael Matheson: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Fertility Guideline was produced for the NHS in England and Wales. The National Infertility Group will submit its report to ministers, with recommendations on eligibility criteria, by the end o…

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many IVF patients the NHS has treated in each of the last five years.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not collected centrally in Scotland. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority collects this type of information for the whole of the UK. Further details can be found at http://www.hfea.gov.uk/104.html.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many couples have undergone IVF treatment; what average number of IVF cycles was undertaken by each couple, and how many cycles have been undertaken, in each of the last five years.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not collected centrally in Scotland. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority collects this type of information for the whole of the UK, further details can be found at http://www.hfea.gov.uk/104.html.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many IVF embryos have been (a) implanted, (b) stored and (c) disposed of in each of the last five years.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not collected centrally in Scotland. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority collects this type of information for the whole of the UK, further details can be found at http://www.hfea.gov.uk/104.html.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) names and (b) identification numbers are of all licensed IVF centres and how many visits inspectors of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority have made to each centre since 2007.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not held centrally in Scotland. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority licenses and inspects all IVF clinics in the UK, further details can be found at http://www.hfea.gov.uk/104.html.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) embryos have been conceived and (b) live births there have been as a result of IVF treatment in each of the last five years.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not collected centrally in Scotland. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority collects this type of information for the whole of the UK, further details can be found at http://www.hfea.gov.uk/104.html.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many embryos are in storage in IVF centres.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not collected centrally in Scotland. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority collects this type of information for the whole of the UK, further details can be found at http://www.hfea.gov.uk/104.html.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many women receiving IVF treatment were implanted with (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four, (e) five, (f) six, (g) seven, (h) eight and (i) more than eight embryos in the last 10 years.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not collected centrally in Scotland. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority collects this type of information for the whole of the UK, further details can be found at http://www.hfea.gov.uk/104.html.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many multiple births of (a) two, (b) three or (c) four babies have occurred as a result of IVF treatment in each of the last 10 years.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not collected centrally in Scotland. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority collects this type of information for the whole of the UK, further details can be found at http://www.hfea.gov.uk/104.html.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many women have been referred for treatment related to multiple births as a result of IVF treatment in each of the last 10 years.

Answer · Michael Matheson: This information is not collected centrally in Scotland. The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority collects this type of information for the whole of the UK, further details can be found at http://www.hfea.gov.uk/104.html.

11 Sep 2012 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) target and (b) actual time is for the commencement of IVF treatment from the date of referral by a GP.

Answer · Michael Matheson: There is no target for the commencement of IVF treatment from the date of referral by a GP. The Scottish Government’s new maximum waiting time of 12 months for IVF treatment will mean, for the first time ever in Scotland, all eligible patients will receive t…