Call to end IVF 'postcode lottery'

19 November 2009 12:16am

Couples must be given three free cycles of IVF on the NHS, according to a private fertility doctor.

Sam Abdalla said women were enduring long waiting lists around the UK, decreasing their chances of ever having a baby.

He called on the NHS to implement guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (Nice) from 2004 which said people should get three free cycles of treatment.

A report published in August by Tory MP Grant Shapps found eight out of 10 primary care trusts (PCTs) are failing to follow the guidelines.

Mr Abdalla, who is medical director of the private Lister Fertility Clinic in London, said the "postcode lottery" experienced by couples must end.

He is offering 21 free cycles of IVF to mark the 21st birthday of the clinic, which has expanded to cope with demand. Since it was opened, treatments at the clinic have resulted in more than 10,000 births and it now carries out 2,500 IVF cycles per year.

Mr Abdalla said: "Infertility is not only a disease, it is also a social disorder with a profound effect on the individual, the family and wider society.

"It is scandalous that over 30 years after IVF was introduced, infertile couples are denied state-funded treatment for their predicament."

Clare Lewis-Jones, chief executive of Infertility Network UK, opened the newly-expanded clinic. She said: "Difficulties in conceiving are a growing problem for our society and many people fail to understand the terrible affect that infertility can have on would-be parents and their overall health.

"We want everyone to be treated equally and we support Sam Abdalla's call. There should be no postcode lottery."

© The Press Association