Survey highlights the UK's continuing IVF 'postcode lottery'

A recent survey has found that two thirds of women would consider moving to another area of the UK to access IVF on the NHS.

In a poll conducted on behalf of SHE magazine in its launch of the SHE FAIRtility campaign to combat the UK's IVF 'postcode lottery', one-fifth of 1,000 women polled also said they had themselves or knew of someone who had encountered financial difficulties as a result of requiring IVF treatment.

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommend each Primary Care Trust should provide three cycles of IVF to eligible people, although each trust makes its own decision about how many cycles, if any, to fund. Recent cost-cutting measures have caused IVF funding to vary even more dramatically among trusts.

Clare Lewis-Jones, Chief Executive of Infertility Network UK, said, despite NICE guidelines, the NHS is not an option for many people because of where they live. 'This is a totally cruel, unjustifiable and unacceptable situation which simply must end, and end quickly', she said.