Research

A very interesting report has been published about the postcode lottery attached to IVF provision on the NHS. An MP has carried out his own research and found that the criteria used to assess the suitability for funding varies massively between PCTs.

Some PCTs fund three treatments, as recommended by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE), but most only fund one. In addition, 54% of PCTs apply some restrictions on IVF if one parent already has a child, even if they are widowed. What I found really crazy is that you can be too old to have funded treatment in one PCT while simultaneously being too young in another.

This whole thing is complete madness. When we were looking for a place to live after finishing university, schools were the main factor. We moved nearest the best schools so that our son could get the best education. We weren't to know then that we needed to cross-reference good school postcodes with generous IVF provision, as well as taking into account crime rates, house prices and everything else one needs to consider.

I hope this research means that the government will now be forced to step in and standardise IVF provision across the country. I don't suppose it would benefit me, because even if that did happen, it would take years, by which point I'd be too old, but it would help others like me.