Herts Valleys CCG NHS IVF suspension; plans to cut services
Herts Valleys CCG has suspended NHS IVF for six months while it and 2 other CCGs - East and North Hertfordshire CCG and West Essex CCG - consult on cutting all NHS IVF.
Herts Valleys CCG has suspended NHS IVF for six months while it and 2 other CCGs – East and North Hertfordshire CCG and West Essex CCG – consult on cutting all NHS IVF. The public consultation runs from 6 July to 11 September.
Susan Seenan, chief executive of Fertility Network UK, said; ‘We are appalled at Herts Valleys clinical commissioning group’s (CCG’s) decision to suspend NHS fertility services for six months while a public consultation on the future of NHS IVF is undertaken. Patients who need medical help in order to become parents will be devastated at the suspension and the news that Herts Valleys CCG, East and North Hertfordshire CCG and West Essex CCG are considering removing all NHS fertility services. Infertility has a serious and lasting impact on all those affected and to consider removing medical help is a short-sighted and false economy; fertility problems do not just affect people physically, but mentally too: 90% of people experience depression; 42% suicidal thoughts and relationships are affected (70%). Please respond to the public consultation and help save NHS IVF; England pioneered IVF approaching 40 years ago but that achievement literally means nothing if only those who can pay for IVF benefit from it.’
If you are affected by this suspension and proposed cuts and are happy to talk to the media about this in order to raise awareness about what is happening, please contact Catherine Hill at media@fertilitynetworkuk.org
Help save NHS IVF in these areas and complete the IVF consultation document below
Further information is available here
http://www.healthierfuture.org.uk/nhsletstalk
As part of the consultation, there is also a series of public meetings to seek the views of local people on these proposals.
The full series of events are below, please use the link for each location to reserve your place if you plan to attend:
- Tuesday 18 July, 7pm to 8.30pm – Hertford: St Andrew’s Centre, St Andrew Street, SG14 1HZ
- Wednesday 19 July, 5.30pm to 7pm – Bishop’s Stortford: The Apton Centre, 22 Apton Road, CM23 3SN
- Thursday 20 July, 1.30pm to 3pm – Stevenage: Stevenage Arts and Leisure Centre, Lytton Way, SG1 1LZ
- Thursday 31 August, 6pm to 7.30pm – Broxbourne: Hertford Regional College, The Springs, EN10 6AE
- Tuesday 5 September, 7pm to 8.30pm – Letchworth: Mrs Howard Memorial Hall, Norton Way South, SG6 1NX
- Wednesday 6 September, 6pm to 7.30pm – Welwyn Garden City: Focolare Centre, 69 Parkway, AL8 6JG
If you have any queries about the meetings or need any more information that is not contained in the consultation documents, contact the CCGby emailing engagement@enhertsccg.nhs.uk