National Infertility Group Report January 2013

2. The aim:

2.1 Reduce inequity and waiting time to 12 months

3. The principal issue for the Group was to manage the significant inequity in access to IVF that has arisen across Scotland as Health Boards have made different decisions about the criteria for access to treatment and about the level of investment in treatment. The Group was also acutely aware of the need to solve this issue in the context of increased demand on the NHS in general and the prevailing financial climate. The Group notes that the Scottish Government has acknowledged the inequity that surrounds waiting times for IVF in Scotland, and that the Government made the following manifesto commitment in April 2011: "We will continue to address the variation in waiting times for IVF treatment and during the next Parliament we will work to establish a maximum waiting time of 12 months."

2.2 Achieve this by using short-term money to target waiting times

4. The Scottish Government announced in September 2012 that an additional £12 million would be made available over the next 3 years to reduce waiting times for IVF treatment across Scotland to 12 months by 31 March 2015.

5. This funding has already started to reduce the backlog and will support the Scottish Government's commitment to deliver a maximum waiting time of 12 months for IVF treatment across Scotland by March 2015. Two million pounds is being invested in 2012/13, with a further £4 million in 2013/14, and £6 million in 2014/15.

2.3 Ensure that the long-term cost of provision is similar to current cost

6. The National Infertility Group has been very cognisant of the tight financial envelope within which NHS Boards must operate and the conflicting demands across many services for resources.

7. NHS Boards have a responsibility to operate within their allocated budgets, and as such to prioritise services to meet the needs of their populations. Given the increasingly challenging financial climate, this has, over time - particularly in bigger Boards - put pressure on services such as IVF.

2.4 Align our recommendations with 20:20 Vision

8. The NHSScotland Quality Strategy² aims to deliver the highest quality healthcare to the people of Scotland and ensure that the NHS, Local Authorities and the Third Sector work together, with patients, carers and the public, towards a shared goal of world-leading healthcare.

9. Three high level Quality Ambitions were developed to reflect the six internationally recognised dimensions of healthcare quality. All healthcare policy development is being aligned to drive the delivery of these three Quality Ambitions:

Safe - There will be no avoidable injury or harm to people from healthcare, and an appropriate, clean and safe environment will be provided for the delivery of healthcare services at all times.

Person-centred - Mutually beneficial partnerships between patients, their families and those delivering healthcare services which respect individual needs and values and which demonstrate compassion, continuity, clear communication and shared decision-making.

Effective - The most appropriate treatments, interventions, support and services will be provided at the right time to everyone who will benefit, and wasteful or harmful variation will be eradicated.

10. In its considerations, the Group has had to strike a careful balance between the needs of potential parents against not only the obstetric risks which may be posed but also the overall effectiveness of treatment and the potential long-term health outcomes for any child born as a result of IVF.