22.05.12
Free IVF proposed for older women
IVF treatment could be extended to women up to the age of 42 on the NHS, updated guidance proposed by NICE suggests. The current age limit is 39, with an identified cause of infertility.
Women aged 40-42 should be offered one cycle of IVF – at a cost of around £3,000 – if they have no chance of conceiving by any other means and have not previously undergone IVF treatment.
The guidance also suggests other new groups who should be eligible for treatment; same sex couples, people facing cancer treatment and those with infectious diseases such as HIV.
Dr Gill Leng, deputy chief executive at NICE, said: “The aim of these new and updated recommendations is to ensure that everyone who has problems with fertility has access to the best levels of help. We are now consulting on this draft guideline and we welcome comments from interested parties.”
The guidelines are non-compulsory, but some health professionals have warned that the current squeeze on resources mean that some people are already denied free treatment even if they are eligible.
Susan Seenan, of the charity Infertility NetworkUK, said: “We must be clear: the current 'treatment by postcode' situation surrounding the treatment of infertility here has gone on for far too long and it is vital that PCTs act quickly – and act now.”
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