Monday, 18 October 2010
Donor eggs for black women
As more and more people who need donor eggs consider travelling abroad to avoid long waiting lists at many clinics at home, there is good news for black women from Barbados Fertility Centre. They've been actively recruiting donors locally for some time, and are now in the position of having more donor eggs from black women than they have potential recipients. This may be of great interest to black British women who often face incredibly long waits for treatment with donor eggs in the UK. You can find out more about the clinic and the treatment they offer at www.barbadosivf.org
Monday, 4 October 2010
an interview later...
I've just done an interview for LBC radio about IVF funding, which they'd linked to Robert Edwards getting the Nobel prize. It's such a shame that on the day one of our country's greatest scientists gets awarded for his ground-breaking work, we end up discussing how to cut all funding for an amazing treatment that was invented here. We carry out less fertility treatment in the UK, and considerably less funded treatment, than most of the rest of Europe - and yet this was a field in which we once led the world.
It always fascinates me when I do these interviews that there is a general assumption that the NHS is funding huge amounts of treatment at the moment, when in fact that isn't the case at all. It's a tiny percentage of the NHS budget and cutting it would cause such distress. Today the person interviewing me equated IVF with breast-enlargement operations for teenagers - it seems to get worse by the day...
It always fascinates me when I do these interviews that there is a general assumption that the NHS is funding huge amounts of treatment at the moment, when in fact that isn't the case at all. It's a tiny percentage of the NHS budget and cutting it would cause such distress. Today the person interviewing me equated IVF with breast-enlargement operations for teenagers - it seems to get worse by the day...
IVF pioneer honoured at last!
What fabulous news that Robert Edwards, the scientist behind the birth of world's first IVF baby, has finally received a Nobel prize!
It has always rather mystified me that Robert Edwards hasn't received a Nobel prize for medicine in the past. His work has led to the birth of millions of IVF babies around the world, and has allowed many couples who would never otherwise have been able to conceive to have families of their own. Working with Patrick Steptoe, he'd been widely criticised for his work, with much scepticism about IVF from the medical profession as well as the church and the general public.
It's just a shame that they waited so long to honour him, as he is now 85 and not at all well. I went to interview him a few years ago, and I know how much he would appreciate finally receiving this prize. He explained to me that his conviction had allowed him to continue his work despite all the opposition, and that had led him to develop what has now been recognised as "a milestone of modern medicine".
It's not often that you meet someone whose life is really inspiring, and who you feel quite humbled to have the opportunity to speak to. Robert Edwards is a wonderful man, passionate about helping those with fertility problems and this is a truly well-deserved, if somewhat tardy, recognition of all that he has done. And on a personal note, it has cheered up my day no end!
Read more here
It has always rather mystified me that Robert Edwards hasn't received a Nobel prize for medicine in the past. His work has led to the birth of millions of IVF babies around the world, and has allowed many couples who would never otherwise have been able to conceive to have families of their own. Working with Patrick Steptoe, he'd been widely criticised for his work, with much scepticism about IVF from the medical profession as well as the church and the general public.
It's just a shame that they waited so long to honour him, as he is now 85 and not at all well. I went to interview him a few years ago, and I know how much he would appreciate finally receiving this prize. He explained to me that his conviction had allowed him to continue his work despite all the opposition, and that had led him to develop what has now been recognised as "a milestone of modern medicine".
It's not often that you meet someone whose life is really inspiring, and who you feel quite humbled to have the opportunity to speak to. Robert Edwards is a wonderful man, passionate about helping those with fertility problems and this is a truly well-deserved, if somewhat tardy, recognition of all that he has done. And on a personal note, it has cheered up my day no end!
Read more here
Friday, 17 September 2010
Reduced cost IVF for charity members
I wrote a while ago about the Benenden Healthcare Society, a mutual not for profit organisation which provides healthcare to public sector employees - and is offering IVF at reduced cost. The Society has now voted to open up to all those who are members of charities too, which means that anyone who has joined Infertility Network UK for support can benefit from this.
Benenden Hospital in Kent is a subsidiary of the society and has charitable trust status. It provides healthcare for members of the trust, and has its own fertility centre. Although IVF treatment cannot be offered free, it is subsidised - members who have been with the society for six months or more qualify for IVF at reduced cost.
You can find out more at www.benenden.org.uk
Benenden Hospital in Kent is a subsidiary of the society and has charitable trust status. It provides healthcare for members of the trust, and has its own fertility centre. Although IVF treatment cannot be offered free, it is subsidised - members who have been with the society for six months or more qualify for IVF at reduced cost.
You can find out more at www.benenden.org.uk
Thursday, 16 September 2010
Another trust cuts fertility funding
So, now NHS Bury has decided to stop funding IVF too - apparently as part of a plan to save "millions of pounds". Well, I just hope the plan includes an awful lot of other things, as they're not going to save a single million by stopping fertility treatment.
In 2008, they funded a total of 31 treatment cycles - which means they'd probably struggle to save much more than £100,000 by cutting treatment altogether. That may seem quite a lot of money but in terms of their multi-million pound annual budget, it is peanuts. I suspect the board at NHS Bury could do with a few lessons in health economics - causing so much misery and depression for such a small saving is not good policy, it's a lazy way to make it look as if you are doing something by snipping away at small budgets,
IVF is not always successful, but the pain of involuntary childlessness is far easier to bear if you know that you had the opportunity to try to overcome your fertility problem. And let's be clear, a fertility problem is a health problem not a "lifestyle issue". I am never entirely sure why blocked Fallopian tubes or polycystic ovary syndrome are conveniently no longer classified as medical problems when it comes to funding fertility.
NHS Bury is also cutting "other discretionary procedures" such as cosmetic surgery, apart from in exceptional cases (which suggests a lot of unexceptional ones have been funded in the past) and homeopathy treatments. Says it all really...
In 2008, they funded a total of 31 treatment cycles - which means they'd probably struggle to save much more than £100,000 by cutting treatment altogether. That may seem quite a lot of money but in terms of their multi-million pound annual budget, it is peanuts. I suspect the board at NHS Bury could do with a few lessons in health economics - causing so much misery and depression for such a small saving is not good policy, it's a lazy way to make it look as if you are doing something by snipping away at small budgets,
IVF is not always successful, but the pain of involuntary childlessness is far easier to bear if you know that you had the opportunity to try to overcome your fertility problem. And let's be clear, a fertility problem is a health problem not a "lifestyle issue". I am never entirely sure why blocked Fallopian tubes or polycystic ovary syndrome are conveniently no longer classified as medical problems when it comes to funding fertility.
NHS Bury is also cutting "other discretionary procedures" such as cosmetic surgery, apart from in exceptional cases (which suggests a lot of unexceptional ones have been funded in the past) and homeopathy treatments. Says it all really...
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Positive new research on DHEA
It's a subject that has come up at lot recently at the fertility support groups I visit - the use of DHEA to improve the chances of IVF success for women who have a low ovarian reserve.
DHEA is an anti-ageing vitamin supplement and women in the UK have been buying it online - and reporting that their response during IVF treatment has been much improved. It's quite a hot topic amongst the couples at the groups, and more and more have been using it recently.
Now, scientists in Israel have looked more closely at the effects of the supplement - and they found that women who took it were three times more likely to get pregnant than those who didn't. Apparently, the women who'd taken DHEA were also more likely to have a healthy pregnancy and delivery.
It isn't clear exactly what DHEA does to women to make them more fertile, and many consultants in the UK are reluctant to recommend it without larger scale trials - however, if you've got a low ovarian reserve and are having IVF, it's definitely worth looking into.
There's more detail on the research, which has been published in Human Reproduction, here
DHEA is an anti-ageing vitamin supplement and women in the UK have been buying it online - and reporting that their response during IVF treatment has been much improved. It's quite a hot topic amongst the couples at the groups, and more and more have been using it recently.
Now, scientists in Israel have looked more closely at the effects of the supplement - and they found that women who took it were three times more likely to get pregnant than those who didn't. Apparently, the women who'd taken DHEA were also more likely to have a healthy pregnancy and delivery.
It isn't clear exactly what DHEA does to women to make them more fertile, and many consultants in the UK are reluctant to recommend it without larger scale trials - however, if you've got a low ovarian reserve and are having IVF, it's definitely worth looking into.
There's more detail on the research, which has been published in Human Reproduction, here
IVF cuts - make your feelings known...
It was depressing to get back from my holiday and discover that one Primary Care Trust had decided to stop funding fertility treatment due to the recession.
It's an easy way to look as if you are being thrifty - but the ridiculous thing is that it actually saves a very small amount of money whilst causing a huge amount of heartache. I heard an estimate the other day that in total fertility funding was less than 0.1% of the NHS budget. I suspect far more could be saved by a more careful monitoring of exactly what can be covered by executive expenses - and that wouldn't cause any heartache to anyone.
Clare Lewis-Jones MBE, chair of the National Infertility Awareness Campaign and Chief Executive of Infertility Network UK has made her feelings clear, urging Warrington PCT to rethink the decision; “We are very angry indeed at the decision taken by Warrington PCT to suspend funding for IVF treatment. The PCT has suggested that infertility does not affect general physical health but we deal with patients every day who contact us and whose health has been adversely affected by this illness. NICE Guidance issued in 2004 recommended eligible couples should receive up to three full cycles of treatment. It is high time that PCTs realised the impact infertility has on patients."
I think sometimes Primary Care Trusts are too quick to listen to the small but vociferous minority who oppose fertility treatment and to take their views as being representative. People who are living without the children they'd love are often so adversely affected by their situation that they feel unable to make a fuss when PCTs make decisions like this. Maybe you could help them. Tell Warrington PCT Chair, Mr John Gartside, what you think about the decision.
Mr John Gartside
Warrington Primary Care Trust
Headquarters
930-932 Birchwood Boulevard
Millennium Park
Birchwood
Warrington WA3 7QN
It's an easy way to look as if you are being thrifty - but the ridiculous thing is that it actually saves a very small amount of money whilst causing a huge amount of heartache. I heard an estimate the other day that in total fertility funding was less than 0.1% of the NHS budget. I suspect far more could be saved by a more careful monitoring of exactly what can be covered by executive expenses - and that wouldn't cause any heartache to anyone.
Clare Lewis-Jones MBE, chair of the National Infertility Awareness Campaign and Chief Executive of Infertility Network UK has made her feelings clear, urging Warrington PCT to rethink the decision; “We are very angry indeed at the decision taken by Warrington PCT to suspend funding for IVF treatment. The PCT has suggested that infertility does not affect general physical health but we deal with patients every day who contact us and whose health has been adversely affected by this illness. NICE Guidance issued in 2004 recommended eligible couples should receive up to three full cycles of treatment. It is high time that PCTs realised the impact infertility has on patients."
I think sometimes Primary Care Trusts are too quick to listen to the small but vociferous minority who oppose fertility treatment and to take their views as being representative. People who are living without the children they'd love are often so adversely affected by their situation that they feel unable to make a fuss when PCTs make decisions like this. Maybe you could help them. Tell Warrington PCT Chair, Mr John Gartside, what you think about the decision.
Mr John Gartside
Warrington Primary Care Trust
Headquarters
930-932 Birchwood Boulevard
Millennium Park
Birchwood
Warrington WA3 7QN
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