Expert: NHS IVF treatment is a postcode lottery

IVF treatment in the NHS is a postcode lottery, according to a fertility expert.

After a recent report from the British Fertility Society (BFS), Dr Paul Serhal from the University College London has agreed that there is a “wide disparity” between the level of services available for women seeking IVF treatment in different areas across the country.

This is in part due to the different criteria employed by each hospital for IVF treatment, he said. Factors like same sex couples, smokers, obesity and previous marriages could also threaten the chances of receiving IVF treatment in some areas, leading to calls for a consistent, national approach to IVF policies.

Speaking on BBC One’s Breakfast programme, Dr Serhal said: “The BFS survey clearly shows inequality in the provision of NHS fertility treatment across the board, and it also highlights the inconsistencies in the medical and social criteria that are being used by different primary care trusts.”

Some of the suggestions from the BFS include recommendations that homosexual couples should be treated in the same way as heterosexual couples, while severely obese people should be helped to reduce their weight before starting IVF treatment.

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