NHS warns health trusts of their responsibility to couples desperately hoping for fertility treatment
The NHS is giving hope to couples desperate for a baby
Couples who feared they'd missed out on their chance of IVF because of recent budget cuts have been given a lifeline by an NHS top dog.
Deputy chief executive of the NHS, David Flory, has circulated a letter to all 152 Primary Care Trusts in England that current guidelines state the need to provide up to three cycles of IVF for eligible couples, where the woman is aged between 23 and 39.
His action comes after at least 10 Primary Care Trusts in England suspended funding for infertility services until the end of the current financial year and stories began circulating of women receiving letters cancelling their planned IVF treatment.
The intervention has been welcomed by politicians. Gareth Johnson, Conservative MP for Dartford, who this week launches the first all-party parliamentary group on infertility said: "It is quite wrong that some Primary Care Trusts have chosen to disregard these guidelines and offer less than three cycles of IVF. I hope this letter will help to ensure that infertile couples receive the treatment they deserve."
Thinking about trying fertility treatment? Check out your options. Want to up your chances of being more fertile? Advice here
