ABSTRACT
As a member of your local clinical commissioning group (CCG), you are involved in setting up a specialist clinic for GPs to refer patients for consideration for fertility treatment funding. You have been asked to draw up some guidelines so that GPs know which patients would be eligible for fertility treatment on the National Health Service (NHS). Part of the discussion within the group has been to consider the interpretation of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance and its application for funding decisions in practice. Points raised in a rather heated debate considered whether
• Fertility treatment should be offered to only those with a medical reason for infertility
• There should be a time frame as to how long a couple has been trying to conceive • There should be any consideration of the financial implications of raising a child or
the existence of other children • It would be appropriate to fund the use of donor gametes, for example, using donor
sperm for single women wishing to raise a child alone You quickly realise that this is quite an emotive subject and individuals within the group have very strong views on when fertility treatment should be available. You decide more information is needed before guidance can be drafted and delegate fact finding tasks to the other members of the team.
