PET PET
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
Become a Friend Donate
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • About Us
    • People
    • Press Office
    • Our History
  • Get Involved
    • Become a Friend of PET
    • Volunteer
    • Campaigns
    • Writing Scheme
    • Partnership and Sponsorship
    • Advertise with Us
  • Donate
    • Become a Friend of PET
  • BioNews
    • News
    • Comment
    • Reviews
    • Elsewhere
    • Topics
    • Glossary
    • Newsletters
  • Events
    • Upcoming Events
    • Previous Events
  • Engagement
    • Policy and Projects
      • Resources
    • Education
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us
  • My Account
  • Subscribe
  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements
PETBioNewsNewsAge limit on free IVF could be abandoned

BioNews

Age limit on free IVF could be abandoned

Published 5 July 2010 posted in News and appears in BioNews 565

Author

Rosemary Paxman

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.

The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is considering lifting its age limit for free IVF on the National Health Service (NHS), as part of a full review of its guidelines. Instead, women would be offered free IVF on the NHS if they had enough viable eggs...

The UK's National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is considering lifting its age limit for free IVF on the NHS, as part of a full review of its guidelines. Instead, women would be offered free IVF on the NHS if they had enough viable eggs.

This would mean women over 40 could receive free IVF on the NHS for the first time. Women between 23 and 39, who are currently eligible for three free cycles of IVF, meanwhile, could be denied it if their eggs are deemed unsuitable.

NICE is currently reviewing all its guidelines to ensure they comply with the Equality Act passed by the previous government, which aims to end age-related discrimination.

Fertility expert Dr Allan Pacey, from Sheffield University, described NICE's decision to review its IVF guidelines as: 'logical to move away from age guidelines to ovarian reserve. It is unfair now'.

His views were echoed by Dr Marco Gaudoin, medical director for the Glasgow centre for Reproductive Medicine. He said it was time NICE caught up with developments in reproductive medicine and believes the tests used to check how many viable eggs a woman has are an accurate indicator of fertility.

He continued: 'we see 40-year-olds who are not allowed treatment on the NHS and we find often that in fact they have a pretty good ovarian reserve and a good chance of successful treatment'.

But fertility doctor and vice-chairman of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Dr Gillian Lockwood cautioned against some of the changes, saying: 'NICE seem to think that the best thing is to spend money on those with the best chance of a pregnancy; there is nothing fair about that at all'.

NICE will not finalise its new guidelines until 2012, according to The Daily Telegraph newspaper.

Related Articles

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
News
19 July 2010 • 2 minutes read

Researchers predict IVF success from previous cycles

by Dr Charlotte Maden

A mathematical model for predicting a couple's chances of a successful pregnancy by IVF after one failed attempt has been developed by US researchers. The model is 1000 times more accurate at predicting a positive outcome than standard methods, which are mainly based on a woman's age. The model may help clinics give more personalised and reliable advice to couples...

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
Comment
23 June 2010 • 2 minutes read

The death of Denmark's public ART funding

by Professor Søren Ziebe

Around two children in each Danish school class was conceived using some form of ART and Danish fertility clinics are involved in the birth of eight per cent of children born each year. So it is extremely troubling that the Government has chosen to play roulette with Danish fertility by introducing 100 per cent patient payment for ART in public clinics...

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
News
5 June 2010 • 1 minute read

Danish government cuts funding for IVF

by Dr Nadeem Shaikh

Political consensus in Denmark has resulted in an amendment to legislation governing IVF funding. According to the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE), free public health services will no longer extend towards assisted reproduction treatments (ART)....

Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
CC0 1.0
Image by Alan Handyside via the Wellcome Collection. Depicts a human egg soon after fertilisation, with the two parental pronuclei clearly visible.
News
29 March 2010 • 2 minutes read

Quebec to offer free IVF

by Rosie Beauchamp

Yves Bolduc, the Minister for Health in Quebec, Canada, has announced plans to introduce free fertility treatment through the extension of Medicare coverage. This move will fulfil Premier Jean Charest's 2008 campaign promise...

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

« Study reveals complex interactions between disease genes

Data-Label The UK's Leading Supplier Of Medical Labels & Asset Labels

RetiringDentist.co.uk The UK's Leading M&A Company.

Find out how you can advertise here
easyfundraising
amazon

This month in BioNews

  • Popular
  • Recent
8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Placenta and organ formation observed in mouse embryo models

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Lower hormone doses may improve IVF egg quality

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Boosting muscle cell production of gene therapy proteins

1 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

First UK medical guidelines issued for trans fertility preservation

1 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Male age has more impact on IVF birth rate than previously thought

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Placenta and organ formation observed in mouse embryo models

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Complex structures of the human heart bioengineered

8 August 2022 • 1 minute read

Brain tumour gene also linked to childhood cancers

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Lower hormone doses may improve IVF egg quality

8 August 2022 • 2 minutes read

Boosting muscle cell production of gene therapy proteins

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856

Subscribe to BioNews and other PET updates for free.

Subscribe
PET PET

PET is an independent charity that improves choices for people affected by infertility and genetic conditions.

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • RSS
Wellcome
Website redevelopment supported by Wellcome.

Navigation

  • About Us
  • Get Involved
  • Donate
  • BioNews
  • Events
  • Engagement
  • Jobs & Opportunities
  • Contact Us

BioNews

  • News
  • Comment
  • Reviews
  • Elsewhere
  • Topics
  • Glossary
  • Newsletters

Other

  • My Account
  • Subscribe

Website by Impact Media Impact Media

  • Privacy Statement
  • Advertising Policy
  • Thanks and Acknowledgements

© 1992 - 2022 Progress Educational Trust. All rights reserved.

Limited company registered in England and Wales no 07405980 • Registered charity no 1139856