IVF funding

When the government promised one full cycle of IVF on the NHS for all eligible couples by April 2005, it looked as if things might be about to change for all of those who were having difficulty conceiving. At last, the problem was being taken seriously. Perhaps the chances of getting at least some funded help would no longer depend on where you lived.

Two years on, that government promise remains unfulfilled. In some areas, there's no funding at all for patients who need IVF. In others, trusts have come up with stringent criteria to ensure that the majority of those who need treatment won't qualify. Is it really logical to refuse to fund treatment for women who are under 36, when we know that IVF is far more likely to be successful for younger women? And is it fair to refuse to fund anyone who has ever paid for treatment in the past? Or anyone whose partner may have adult children from a previous relationship?

The postcode lottery is more complicated than ever, and your chances of getting treatment depend on your age and your situation now, as well as where you live. Fortunately, there is an ongoing survey by the charity Infertility Network UK with the backing of the Department of Health to look at the way funding is working, or rather not working, which aims to help lay the foundations for better provision of treatment across the board. Maybe this is the first step towards keeping that government promise.