Delays to NHS fertility services as a result of the covid-19 outbreak

That this House acknowledges the delays to NHS fertility services caused by the covid-19 outbreak, and the distressing impact of these delays on fertility patients; further notes the imposition of strict female age limits for NHS-funded IVF by CCGs in England, which range from 34 to 42 years old; recognises that in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, commitments have been made to stop the clock for fertility patients to ensure they do not exceed age limits for NHS-funded IVF due to pandemic-related delays; shares concerns raised by BPAS Fertility, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Association of Reproductive and Clinical Scientists and others, that no such directive has been issued in England; further recognises that fertility patients in England are already subject to an unacceptable postcode lottery due to disparities between CCGs’ commissioning policies, which commonly diverge from NICE guidance; urges the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to issue guidance to CCGs on the issue of covid-19 delays, to promote a standardised approach across England and offer reassurance to all fertility patients during the pandemic, regardless of where they live; and finally urges the Secretary of State to confirm in said guidance that fertility patients affected by the delays should not be disadvantaged as a result of their age, and no patient who has crossed an age threshold since fertility clinics were instructed to close on 23 March 2020 should be considered ineligible for care on that basis.