In-Vitro Fertilization Rationing By NHS Raises Concerns of Parenthood in the UK

NHS has cut the chances of women getting in-vitro fertilization leading to deprivation of pregnancy. Only five areas in the UK are offering women three cycles of IVF despite recommendations by the health authorities.The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has advised to allow women under 40 three chances of IVF for becoming pregnant. One IVF cycle results in a live birth for just under 33 percent of women aged 35 or younger, 28 percent of women aged 36-37 and 21 per cent of women aged 38-39, and just over one in eight women aged 40-42 will be successful. Having just one cycle therefore severely limits the chances of couples having children.

Fertility Fairness has written to Health minister Jane Ellison requesting a meeting to discuss the “urgent and worrying trend in IVF provision in England.”

Co-chairs Susan Seenan and Sarah Norcross said in their letter that “IVF has long been subject to a postcode lottery but some good progress was made over the last Parliament, and at the end of 2014 every CCG in England was funding at least one cycle of IVF for the first time. However, we are now witnessing a reversal of this trend… We would like to see definite action to prevent this decommissioning becoming an automatic policy change for CCGs seeking to make financial savings.”

Fertility rationing is getting worse in Britain where nearly one quarter of trusts offered the full three cycles in 2013, a drop of six percent. Concerns over IVF rationing have increased among women as one IVF cycle at a private clinic costs around £5,000. Though NICE has recommended the NHS to provide three full cycles across the country, but most trusts have ignored the request.

Source-Medindia