Writing in the Observer, Rosie Taylor, a freelance journalist specialising in health and consumer issues explains how the chance of having a baby are being affected by long NHS waiting lists.
By law all licensed treatments and outcomes must be reported to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), and research shows success rates decrease the older a woman is before starting fertility treatment.
Julia Chain, chair of the HFEA, speaking at the first session of the Progress Educational Trust (PET)'s 2022 Annual Conference – 'Breaking Down Barriers: Who Will Lead the Way?' said 'We know that, post-pandemic, with NHS waiting lists growing ever longer, many patients who might require interventions before they can start [fertility] treatment might be hugely disadvantaged if they have a long wait,' (see BioNews 1171).
Long NHS waiting lists affect couples' chances, as many are forced to delay starting treatment. Additionally, the likelihood of funding reduces with age, and there is a serious lack of funding for same-sex female couples and single women. The HFEA and Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists voiced concerns over the impact of NHS waiting lists in April last year (see BioNews 1140).
Sarah Norcross, director of PET, said: 'Fertility treatments may not be "urgent" in the official language of the health service but, as far as patients are concerned, such treatments are a matter of considerable urgency.'