Closure of fertility unit in Hartlepool detrimental to patients
The proposed closure of the assisted reproduction unit at the University Hospital of Hartlepool will have a damaging effect on an already stressed and struggling group of patients, warns leading patient fertility charity Fertility Network UK.
Susan Seenan, chief executive of Fertility Network UK said: ‘Undergoing IVF is an incredibly stressful and lengthy process. Hospital appointments are numerous and acutely time-sensitive. Consequently, being able to access a local, convenient hospital is of incredible importance and can help to alleviate the stress caused by travelling long distances or having to negotiate work arrangements with employers who are often reluctant to allow time off for fertility medical appointments.’
‘For many, fertility struggles are still taboo. Some of the one in six people in the UK affected by fertility problems do not tell their family, friends or employers that they are having fertility treatment; multiple round trips to an unfamiliar out-of-town hospital without support in your work or home environment may be too difficult or distressing. Fertility patients in Hartlepool and North Tees will suffer as a result of this closure.’