Kent ICB cuts access to NHS-funded IVF

An integrated care board (ICB) in Kent is reducing IVF provision and is lowering the upper age limit for patients to be eligible for NHS-funded IVF.

The new policy, implemented by Kent and Medway ICB, came into force on 1 April 2026, cutting NHS-funded IVF provision from two full cycles to one partial cycle (limited to two embryo transfers) and lowering the age cut-off from 40 to 37. The recently updated NICE Fertility Guideline says that women aged 40 and under should be offered three full cycles – that is, ovarian stimulation, egg collection and transfer of all resulting viable embryos – and possibly three further cycles if the initial three cycles do not result in a pregnancy (see BioNews 1334).

'After careful consideration, we have agreed to make changes to our current fertility policy that aligns Kent and Medway with most other areas of the country,' said the ICB, saying their policy 'focuses resources where clinical success rates are highest and protects the long-term sustainability of fertility services'.

The ICB says that its decision to lower the age limit is based on declining birthrates per IVF cycle after age 35. The ICB has not published the projected cost savings of the policy or wider impact of decreasing cycle and transfer numbers, despite acknowledging strong public support for maintaining the previous level of provision.

The new policy was discussed at a Kent County Council (KCC) meeting last week, where Maidstone councillor Stuart Jeffery – a former senior NHS executive – argued that the policy discriminates against lower-income families who are unable to afford private fertility treatment. He proposed a motion to refer the issue to the health minister, which was supported by 12 fellow councillors.

However, three council members supported the cuts. 'If people are on a low income, they should not be bringing babies into the world if they can't afford them,' said Dover North councillor Bridget Porter, adding: 'These treatments... are not health necessities, they are lifestyle choices.'

Only two out of 42 ICBs in England currently adhere to the NICE Guideline. The decision by Kent and Medway ICB follows similar policies in south-west England, Cheshire and Merseyside (see BioNews 1326), and in Manchester (see BioNews 1325).

'It's particularly cruel to only offer a partial round', Sarah Norcross – director of PET (the Progress Educational Trust) – told BBC News, in response to a similar policy at another ICB. 'There is so much pressure on that one cycle and on those two transfers.... If it could just be made a full round, it would be a great step forward.'

Citing a briefing from PET, Baroness Caroline Pidgeon also raised the issue of ICBs offering only partial IVF cycles, in a debate in the UK House of Lords (see BioNews 1342).

Kent and Medway ICB says that in June 2027, it will report on the activity and complaints of people affected by the change. Patients whose treatment was approved before the introduction of the new policy will not be affected.