Cuts to NHS IVF in Hertfordshire

Herts Valleys clinical commissioning group (CCG) removes NHS IVF; East and North Hertfordshire CCG slashes its NHS IVF provision from 3 IVF cycles to 1 cycle

Herts Valleys clinical commissioning group (CCG) has removed all NHS IVF, while East and North Hertfordshire CCG has slashed its NHS IVF provision from 3 IVF cycles to  1 cycle despite overwhelming public opposition to the cuts.

Commenting on this, Sarah Norcross, co-chair of Fertility Fairness said: ‘This is terrible news for patients and for NHS fertility services in England, and is an absolute disgrace for the country that pioneered IVF nearly 40 years ago. Hertfordshire is now one of the worst regions in England in terms of patients’ ability to access NHS IVF. Medical need and not your post code or pay packet, should be the key determinant of whether you can try IVF.’

‘Denying access to NHS-funded IVF is associated with health risks and economic consequences. Patients who are forced to self-fund treatment often travel overseas for treatment choosing multiple embryo transfer rather than single embryo transfer. Multiple embryo transfers are more likely to result in multiple births which pose greater health risks for both the mother and the twins/multiples with associated high healthcare costs.’