Sarah Norcross, Director of the Progress Educational Trust (PET), said:
The fertility regulator's latest data shows that England's postcode lottery for fertility treatment continues. Whereas more than half of IVF cycles in Scotland are NHS-funded, this is true of less than a quarter of IVF cycles in England, which is dismal when one considers that IVF was originally invented in England.
Our charity, which monitors the policies of Integrated Care Boards on a monthly basis, fears that the situation is worsening. In 2025, we have seen no increases and one decrease in NHS-funded IVF provision in England.
Furthermore, the Integrated Care Boards of Greater Manchester and of Merseyside and Cheshire are currently consulting on reducing the number of cycles they offer. If planned changes go ahead, some areas in the North West of England will see NHS-funded cycles fall from three to just one.
The much-vaunted Women's Health Strategy, launched by the previous Government in 2022, has done nothing to improve the situation. It is to be hoped that the present Government's 10 Year Health Plan, due to be published next week, will include steps to restore NHS funding for IVF.