Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire U-turn on female age restriction plans for NHS IVF
A wonderful example of patient power: 90% voted against the introduction of strict female age restrictions
Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have announced they will not cut the age limit for women eligible for IVF to between 30-35. The news is a victory for patient power: 90 per cent of respondents to the CCGs’ consultation disagreed with the proposals.
As part of the decision to withdraw the proposals, the CCGs noted their concern that “the risk of a legal challenge is high given the inequality in respect of age which will be exacerbated by this proposal”.
However, the CCGs have introduced other restrictions on access to NHS IVF. They will now only fund fertility treatment for couples where neither has a living child, and they have reduced the age limit for prospective fathers and same sex partners to 52.
Details of the consultation report are available here
https://www.bristolccg.nhs.uk/get-involved/nhs-service-proposals/fertility-treatment-eligibility/
http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/health/bristol-nhs-scraps-unfair-discriminatory-749740