Australia's health ministers have agreed to undertake a 'rapid review' of the nation's fertility sector. The issue was on the agenda following revelations this week major fertility provider Monash IVF had again transferred the wrong embryo to a patient.
00:00We know that fertility care can be very taxing physically, emotionally and financially for so many Victorian families.
00:10And that's why it's really important that we've got a system in place that Victorians can have confidence in.
00:17Today, Health Ministers agreed that our departments would commence a rapid review to consider the way in which we can implement an independent accreditation body.
00:29They will also consider whether the state regulatory schemes that we have are fit for purpose when it comes to safety and quality.
00:39And they will also consider options as to whether or not we progress a national scheme.
00:45Quite frankly, the key issue for me has been around the accreditation of fertility care in this nation.
00:53At the moment, the fertility care providers are self-accredited through an organisation called the Reproductive Technology Accreditation Committee.
01:05And it simply doesn't pass the pub test that the people that provide the service are also the ones that determine who provides the service.
01:13So we've got work to do there and I was pleased with the outcome from today's Health Ministers meeting.
