Council hails impact of legal action after fertility services decision reversed

Hartlepool Borough Council has hailed the impact of its decision to bring a High Court challenge over a NHS decision to end licensed fertility services in the town, after a clinical commissioning group decided not to implement its decision.

In February this year members of the council’s audit and governance committee took the decision to launch proceedings after a meeting attended by the medical director and a lawyer for the North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Foundation Trust.

NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees Clinical Commissioning Group has recently been consulting local people on three options for the service. The consultation followed the council’s High Court action.

The three options consulted on were:

1. A comprehensive assisted reproductive service including licensed and unlicensed provision remains at Hartlepool delivered by an alternative provider.
2. Unlicensed assisted reproductive services continue to be delivered at Hartlepool and patients requiring licensed provision choose to go to an alternative site e.g. James Cook University Hospital, Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Gateshead and Newcastle Fertility Centre.
3. A comprehensive assisted reproductive service including licensed and unlicensed provision will no longer be available at Hartlepool but will be delivered at other sites in the region.

At a recent meeting of the audit and governance committee, councillors were told that 58% of the 2,000 respondents chose option 1 and the CCG had confirmed that they would now be seeking an alternative provider to run the service.

Cllr Ray Martin-Wells, chair of the committee, said: “I am delighted with this decision as it means that Hartlepool’s highly-acclaimed fertility service will continue to be provided in the town.

“The last seven months has been a very challenging and worrying time for many people and I would like to thank everyone who has played their part in achieving this victory.

“It’s appalling the way hospital trust executives have handled this situation and I offer no apology in taking action through the High Court to achieve the outcome that this town and its people so richly deserve.”

Cllr Martin-Wells added: “We now look forward to the process to find an alternative provider and I am confident they will not be in short supply given the first class reputation of the unit.

“I will be dealing at a later date with the hospital trust’s non-attendance at previous meetings and the misinformation it has given to our committee.”

Cllr Christopher Akers-Belcher, the Leader of Hartlepool Council, added: This is a victory for democracy and common sense. Everyone can now look forward to a new provider delivering such a hugely important service to the people of Hartlepool and beyond.”