IVF treatment to be offered to couples in Vale of York

COUPLES in the Vale of York have finally won access to fertility treatment on the NHS.

Health chiefs at NHS Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) received the green light from its Governing Body today to press ahead with plans to provide IVF.

York had been the only area in the country not to provide a single cycle of the treatment.

The move comes after a year of indecision from the CCG which, having said it would provide the treatment, backtracked on the decision in August saying it would cost too much.

But having revised the potential demand from couples it has todaybeen decided it is affordable.

Dr Emma Broughton, a local GP and the CCGs Clinical Lead for Womens Health said she was delighted by the change in the commissioning position.

She said: Im so proud to be part of the team at the CCG that has championed the provision of local IVF services and helped to change, for the first time in several years, the commissioning position for the Vale of York."

Nearly 1000 people had signed a petition against the "postcode lottery" - calling for York to bring its policy in line with the rest of the UK.

Karen Boardman, a York IVF campaigner, said: " It's definitely a big step forward, it's a long way from the NICE guidelines which say three or four cycles but it's a step in the right direction. It gives hope to so many couples in the area."

Individuals will need to meet a series of criteria. The female will need to be aged between 23 and 39 at the time of treatment and have a BMI (body mass index) of 19 to 29 for six months prior to a referral. The couple must be non-smoking for six months prior to a referral, must not have living or adopted children and must have been in a stable relationship for at least two years.

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IVF treatment to be offered to couples in Vale of York