Bath and North East Somerset plan cuts to NHS IVF
The proposal would mean only women under 35 and over 23 would be able to access NHS IVF; age restrictions will be introduced for men too
Bath and North East Somerset clinical commissioning group (CCG) has announced plans to restrict access to NHS IVF to women aged between 23-35 – this is in contravention of national guidelines which say that clinically eligible women under 40 should be able to access 3 full IVF cycles.
To register your views on these proposals, please complete the online survey before 27 December 2017 https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/fertilitytreatment
Bath and North East Somerset CCG currently provides just 1 partial IVF cycle (1 fresh transfer and 1 frozen transfer) for women under 40. If its new policy is accepted it will only provide 1 partial IVF cycle to women aged between 23-35.
The CCG is also considering introducing additional restrictions.
For the first time, there will be male age and weight restrictions. The male partner (in the case of heterosexual couples) should be aged 55 or younger, and should have a BMI of 30 or less.
Females (irrespective of whether they have polycystic ovary syndrome) should have a BMI of 30 or less.
Couples should have been trying to conceive for 2 years.
To register your views on the proposals to cuts fertility services, visit
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/fertilitytreatment
Further information is available at
http://www.bathandnortheastsomersetccg.nhs.uk/get-involved/project/fertility-treatment-sterilisation-consultation
The announcement from Bath and North East Somerset CCG comes just as three other CCGs in the region – Bristol, North Somerset, and South Gloucestershire – announced they would not go ahead with plans to narrow the female age range for accessing fertility treatment to between the age of 30 and 35. However, they 3 CCGs did introduce other new restrictions on access to NHS IVF:
- they will now only fund fertility treatment for couples where neither has a living child
- they have reduced the age limit for prospective fathers and same sex partners to 52