HOW MUCH LONGER CAN PEOPLE BE EXPECTED TO WAIT FOR FAIR ACCESS TO FERTILITY TREATMENT?
Another postcode lottery. Another reduction in NHS-funded treatment. Another generation of people facing unequal access to fertility care.
Recent figures highlighted make for concerning reading. Only 2 of England’s 36 Integrated Care Boards offer the three IVF cycles recommended by NICE, while 70% now offer just one.
BUT IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY.
Scotland demonstrates what can be achieved through a commitment to improving fertility services. Not just saying but actually doing.
Eligible patients can access up to three full cycles of NHS-funded IVF, a level of provision described as the gold standard. Scotland is now reviewing its services, including opportunities to improve access and expand provision.
SO WHY AREN’T WE LEARNING FROM SCOTLAND?
Why aren’t decision-makers looking at what works and using that experience to improve fertility provision elsewhere in the UK?
There is a bigger picture too.
The UK is experiencing declining birth rates, with births at a 50-year low. This has implications for our future workforce, economic growth and an ageing population.
We cannot ignore these demographic challenges while continuing to restrict access to fertility care.
WE HAVE TO ASK: WHERE IS IT GOING WRONG?
We have campaigned for years for fair and equitable access to fertility treatment.
We have raised concerns, worked with decision-makers, supported national calls for change and consistently put the voices of people affected by fertility inequalities at the heart of our work.
So why are we still seeing services being reduced rather than improved in England?
Why are decisions about access to healthcare still being determined by postcode?
And perhaps most importantly, do we need to do things differently?
We need more than repeated calls for better access. We need accountability, transparency around funding decisions, meaningful engagement with patients and a a different level of commitment.
It’s time to stop having the same conversations and start learning from what works.