Plaid Cymru AM Dr. Dai Lloyd has called on Health Minister Brian Gibbons to utilise the excellence, expertise and the capacity at Swansea’s IVF Cromwell Clinic for NHS treatment.

Health Minister Brian Gibbons recently announced that women all over Wales can now get free NHS treatment to help them conceive, provided they meet certain criteria.

Dr. Lloyd stated,

“It is vitally important that women who require IVF treatment can access it as close to their homes as possible. I do not believe that it is in the interests of women in South West Wales to have to travel to Cardiff for this treatment and I am therefore calling on the Health Minister to utilise the service at Swansea’s Cromwell Clinic before looking at Cardiff for the capacity.

“The fact that the success rate at the Cromwell Clinic is higher than the comparable figure for Cardiff should provide the incentive for the Health Minister to divert resources to Swansea instead of the capital.

“There is no doubt that an NHS IVF service provided closer to home will prove to be more successful in the long-run and could also prove to be more cost effective.”

Dr. Lloyd added:

“The fact that the clinic is officially rated as the best fertility centre in Wales and the sixth best out of 85 across the UK is a wonderful reflection on the good work carried out by the specialists at the centre. This assures the Minister that if he does invest in Swansea he will be providing a top class service for the people of South West Wales.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to once again cement Swansea’s place as a true regional centre of excellence catering for South West Wales.”

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