Funded IVF has become a 'postcode lottery' and we want to ensure that the NHS and Clinical Commissioning Groups conform to the recommended guidelines of 3 free IVFs. With additional funding now available to the NHS, the relevant funding needs to be distributed and guidelines kept to.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines say that women under 40 should be offered three cycles of IVF on the NHS if they have not conceived after two years. However, in reality, access to free IVF treatment in England varies depending on where you live and the policy of your local CCG which funds the treatment.
The criteria also differs as some CCGs might stipulate that women must not already have children, must not smoke or must be within a specific BMI range. Other CCGs may only offer one full cycle with other CCGs withdrawing all IVF treatment due to tight budgets. It can cost the NHS between £3,000 and £6,000 per cycle with the cost dependent on the type of treatment and individual requirements of the patient. Unless patients in those areas where IVF treatment has been withdrawn can afford to fund their own treatment privately – they have no chance of becoming a parent.
We would greatly appreciate if you could please sign this petition and post across your social media to spread the word so that both IVFbabble.com and Fertility Network UK can present it to the UK Government in the coming weeks.
www.change.org/p/uk-government-greater-funding-of-free-ivf-treatment-and-equality-across-the-uk-and-all-ccgs