Big variation in fertility care

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Government figures have revealed wide variations in provision of fertility treatment to women across England.

A total of 151 primary care trusts (PCTs) responded to a Department of Health survey.

The results show rules on access to treatment vary from trust to trust, with different criteria on factors such as health and age.

Ninety-eight trusts fund one cycle of IVF, 32 said they would fund up to two cycles and seven would fund three.

Fourteen trusts either did not fund IVF or did not provide funding details.

Similar variations were found for intra cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), a procedure in which a single sperm is injected into a woman's egg.

Ninety PCTs fund one ICSI cycle, 29 up to two, and six up to three. One trust said it would pay for as many as six ICSI attempts.

Just 54 PCTs indicated that they funded drugs to induce ovulation.

Forty-two PCTs funded between four and six cycles of donor insemination per couple, while 14 would fund less than two. Seventy-eight PCTs either did not fund donor insemination or gave no details.

Seventy-three trusts indicated that they imposed a weight limit on female patients, but 37 gave no details.

On age, 62 PCTs said they provided treatment to women aged 23-39 in line with recommendations from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE).

But 23 trusts worked to different rules on age.

Lifestyle issues

Healthy lifestyle choices - on smoking, alcohol, drug use and weight - were taken into consideration by 45 trusts.

Parents who already have children were denied NHS-funded treatment in 59 trusts.

Some 42 trusts required couples to have been in a relationship or to have been trying to conceive for a minimum time period. A further 32 said the nature of the couple's relationship would be taken into account.

And 17 trusts said that funding for fertility treatment would be denied to any couples who had previously received such help - either in the state or private sector.

A Department of Health spokesman accepted that there were local variations in IVF provision, and that this could cause distress to people who felt they were unfairly treated.

He said it was for local PCTs to make their own decisions about which treatments to fund.

But he said the gepartment was liaising with Infertility Network UK about how best to ensure patients' needs were met.

"In addition to this, the Department of Health will be monitoring IVF provision across the NHS on an ongoing basis to see where further assistance may be needed."

Susan Seenan, from Infertility Network UK, said the work the charity was doing with the Department of Health was designed to lead to a more consistent approach across England.

Hopefully this would "put an end once and for all to the unfair postcode lottery experienced by infertility patients."