Today (3 December) the NHS South Yorkshire Board made a decision on the future of In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) services across the region following a 12-week engagement process.
Chris Edwards, Interim Chief Executive at NHS South Yorkshire, said:
“The ICB Board has made the difficult decision to move from offering two funded IVF cycles to one, which brings our policy in line with the majority of ICBs in England.
“We recognise how important IVF services are for those affected, and this decision has not been taken lightly by the Board. However, in a difficult financial climate we have a responsibility to balance the needs of all our communities and ensure that we are delivering the best possible value for money within the resources available.
“IVF is just one of the areas identified for review by the ICB. We are examining a range of services in line with our organisational priorities, the needs of our citizens, clinical outcomes, cost effectiveness and the delivery of essential services.
“This has been an extremely tough choice, but it must be considered in the wider context of improving health outcomes for our whole population and ensuring fair access to services for everyone across South Yorkshire.
“We remain committed to offering fertility treatment for our population and through our new policy will continue to support hundreds of people in South Yorkshire every year.”
Following this decision the change is applicable to new referrals and any existing service users will continue with their treatment plans. Eligibility criteria for IVF remains the same.
Where there is evidence of exceptional circumstances an individual funding request could be put forward by a patient’s clinician.