AM speaks out for IVF patients (Kirsty Williams AM )

Cymraeg
English

Kirsty Williams AM <info@kirstywilliams.org.uk>

AM speaks out for IVF patients

October 21, 2008 4:00 PM

Kirsty Williams AM for Brecon & Radnorshire has used First Minister's Questions to call on the WAG to increase access to fertility treatment on the NHS.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines suggest that couples should be offered up to 3 cycles of IVF on the NHS if the woman is aged 23-39 years and the couple has an identified cause for their infertility, or have not conceived after 3 years. But the advice is not binding and the Welsh Assembly Government has still not put this guidance into effect.

Kirsty commented: "Despite the NICE recommendations, which were issued as long ago as 2004, eligible Welsh patients are still only offered one cycle of IVF/ICSI on the NHS.

"Infertility affects up to one in seven couples in the UK and up to 45,000 cycles of IVF are performed in Britain each year, but limited NHS provision in both Wales and England mean that around three-quarters are done privately at an average cost of £2,000 per cycle.

"This cannot be fair and has resulted in a system that discriminates against those who cannot afford to pay for private treatment.

"IVF is not traditionally seen as an NHS service and is all too often seen as a relatively low priority compared to other conditions. However this does not take into account the often hidden consequences of infertility, such as the impact on mental health and general wellbeing.

"The Assembly Government may have taken action to address the postcode lottery that affected fertility treatment prior to 2005 but they must now move to implement the NICE guidance and give patients access to 3 cycles of treatment on the NHS."