9 Left holding no baby
Resolution submitted by the RCN Lothian Branch
That this meeting of RCN Congress calls on RCN Council to lobby for the implementation of the 2004 NICE guidelines on the availability of IVF
Work led by the RCN Nursing Development Committee.
The NICE guidelines (2004) Fertility: assessment and treatment for people with fertility problems which recommended three full cycles of IVF for women who need IVF have not been fully implemented in any of the four countries of the UK. There is still wide variation in the criteria used to assess women's eligibility for treatment and the number of cycles offered, with no NHS funding at all in some parts of the UK. Multiple births are the greatest complication from fertility treatment and professional consensus is that multiple births from IVF should be reduced, because of the significantly increased risks for mothers and babies, and that elective single embryo transfer should be adopted as best practice.
The RCN, through its Fertility Nurses Group, is actively involved in supporting the implementation of this policy change, and is a member of the One at a Time multiple births stakeholder group, which aims to reduce the risk of multiple pregnancies arising from fertility treatment and to raise public and professional awareness of the health risks posed by multiple pregnancies.
Inappropriate funding is also severely impacting the implementation of best practice; as most patients pay for their treatment, they are reluctant to consider having just one embryo transferred. The One at a Time stakeholder group (see the One at a Time website) advocates that removing obstacles - including financial disincentives - within the private sector and the NHS is crucial to enabling change, stating that improved commissioning and appropriate NHS funding would 'make a real difference'.
The RCN has actively supported a variety of initiatives, including work undertaken by the Infertility Network UK, and has been working jointly with a number of bodies on this issue. A policy document is currently in preparation, and work is planned to educate and support fertility nurses in becoming more actively involved with the commissioning of services locally.