New fury in York IVF row

New fury in York IVF row

Updated 6:19pm Tuesday 19th August 2014 in News By Kate Liptrot

A YORK health boss is facing calls to resign after it emerged he did not vote in a crucial decision over IVF because he is campaigning as a Labour election candidate.

Dr Mark Hayes has come under pressure to reconsider his work on the Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group after it emerged the chief clinical officer could not cast a vote in favour of providing IVF treatment due to his political work.

The Labour candidate for Selby and Ainsty has previously said he wishes to end a situation in which his CCG is the only one in the whole of the UK not to offer IVF.

Despite announcing it would provide a single cycle of the fertility treatment IVF, the Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) backtracked on the decision earlier this month on a narrow 5-4 vote, deciding to delay plans because it cannot afford the service.

The matter has been raised by Skipton and Ripon Julian Smith, who said the best outcome would be for Dr Hayes to step down from the post until the 2015 General Election is completed, it was reported.

Karen Boardman, a York campaigner for a cycle of IVF to be offered on the NHS in the city, said: "What it had been 5/5? Would that have meant a rethink and we could have got one cycle on the NHS?

"It does not matter whether you are red, yellow or blue - we are talking about people's lives."

However, Dr Hayes told a regional news television programme that had he voted in favour of the treatment, chair of the CCG, Professor Alan Maynard would have had the casting vote.

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New fury in York IVF row