8 Lancashire CCGs reconsult on cutting NHS IVF

Please complete online survey here before 6 April 2018 to oppose these cuts

All of Lancashire and South Cumbria’s 8 clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are consulting on plans to cuts NHS IVF provision from 2 full IVF cycles to 1 full IVF cycle. The deadline to respond to the public survey is 6 April 2018.

The survey is here

https://www.elesurvey.co.uk/f/614854/e6e2/

The 8 CCGs are:

Chorley and South Ribble

Morecambe Bay

Blackburn with Darwen

Fylde & Wyre

Blackpool

East Lancashire

West Lancashire

Greater Preston

If the proposal goes ahead, clinically eligible women between 18-42 will only be able to access 1 full NHS IVF cycle rather than the nationally recommended 3 full NHS IVF cycles. In addition, couples with children from previous relationships will not be able to access NHS IVF.

The CCGs are also proposing to broaden access to include single women with a diagnosis of infertility.

Aileen Feeney, chief executive of leading patient charity Fertility Network UK, said: ‘Fertility patients in Lancashire and south Cumbria will be devastated to hear that health bosses in the region are proposing to cut the number of IVF cycles they offer from 2 to just 1. This is still a proposal, and there is still the opportunity to express your views against this by filling in the online survey at https://www.elesurvey.co.uk/f/614854/e6e2/ before 8 April 2018. The North West used to be one of the better places to live in terms of access to NHS fertility services; if these proposals go ahead it will join the worst areas.’

More information on the proposed policy is available here

http://eastlancsccg.nhs.uk/get-involved/current-engagement/policy-harmonisation/lancashire-wide-review-and-harmonisation-of-clinical-policies/assisted-conception-services