Minister Opens Reception To Mark National Infertility Day, UK

Main Category: Fertility
Article Date: 04 Jun 2006 - 21:00 PDT

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The All Party Parliamentary Group on Infertility, supported by the National Infertility Awareness Campaign (NIAC) is hosting a parliamentary reception on Monday 5th June to highlight the importance of National Infertility Day 2006.

The reception will be opened by the Minister of State for Public Health, Caroline Flint MP.

The Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Infertility, Dari Taylor MP, said:

" The pain and distress caused by infertility can be never be under-estimated. It can have profound consequences for the health, well-being and relationships of those suffering from it, which are often made worse by a lack of access to appropriate treatment.

"Despite Government calls for funding to be made available, many patients are still facing huge problems accessing treatment on the NHS. I welcome National Infertility Day as an opportunity to raise awareness of the needs of those with infertility, including the importance of ensuring fair and equal access to NHS treatment."

Andrew Lansley CBE MP, Vice-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group and Shadow Secretary of State for Health, added

"In recognising the devastating effects of infertility, the Government asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to produce guidance that would provide for fairer and faster access to treatment. That guidance was published in February 2004, and whilst some progress has been made, it is still far from being fully implemented.

"Sadly, huge inequalities continue to exist, and patients' ability to access treatment often still depends on where they live. This is both unfair and unacceptable, and I welcome the efforts of all those involved in National Infertility Day to highlight the need for the NICE guideline to be implemented in full."

National Infertility Day, which this year is on 10th June 2006, is a conference organised bi-annually to raise awareness of infertility and surrounding issues and provide support and information to patients, their friends and families.

Bob Russell MP, Treasurer of the All Party Parliamentary Group, added his support for the event, saying:

"National Infertility Day 2006 will be the largest one-day conference ever hosted by infertility patient associations. I would like to congratulate all those involved in organising the event, which I hope will be of immense benefit in helping couples and their loved ones cope with infertility."

Clare Brown, Chair of the NIAC said "On behalf of the one in seven couples affected by infertility and on behalf of NIAC I would like to thank Dari Taylor and her colleagues in the All Party Parliamentary Group for their continued efforts in raising awareness of infertility and the need for full implementation of the NICE Guideline in England and Wales. I would also like to thank them for their support of National Infertility Day, a day which is so important for patients and all those working in the field of infertility."

For further information on National Infertility Day, or to book online, go to http://www.infertilitynetworkuk.com/niac.php

The National Infertility Awareness Campaign is an umbrella organisation supported by over 30 organisations that have campaigned since 1993 for equality of NHS funding for infertility treatment, including Infertility Network UK, the British Fertility Society, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, the Association of Clinical Embryologists and the British Infertility Counselling Association.

http://www.infertilitynetworkuk.com/niac.php

Infertility Network UK (INUK) and More To Life (MTL) http://www.infertilitynetworkuk.com

National Infertility Day 2006 will take place in London on Saturday 10th June 2006. To register an interest please email me - a booking form will be sent to you as soon as they are available. Do come - 2002 and 2004 attracted over 550 delegates, 40 exhibitors and 70 speakers. You won't regret it! http://www.nationalinfertilityday.com

Have you been yet?
http://www.buy.at/inuk

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