# IVF - Refused NHS Funding



## Marie dalton (Jul 3, 2013)

Hi,

I know this is a long shot but thought i'd ask anyway.

I have been refused NHS funding for IVF due to my fiance having a child to someone else. The child doesn't live with us and sleeps one night a week to which I have nothing to do with. My F was never with the childs mother is was a one night stand, he has never lived with her or the child. I have appealed the NHS decision for funding and have been rejected again and basically told unless my circumstances change there is nothing they can do.

Is my only options to either save myself (which would take years and years) or get a new partner who doesn't have children (silly but thats what they are basically telling me) ?

Please help


----------



## LouGhevaert (May 18, 2009)

Dear Marie

I'm really sorry to hear you've been refused funding for IVF on the NHS.

Unfortunately CCGs (formerly PCTs) do not have to follow NICE guidance on IVF treatment on the NHS.  Policy is set locally by each CCG and it can differ significantly across the country - hence the coinage of the term 'Postcode Lottery'.  Some CCGs do operate restrictive criteria for access to IVF treatment on the NHS as a way of controlling their local healthcare budgets, and one way of restricting access to funding is to require patients to be 'childless'.  This can feel really unfair, as your case demonstrates.  Other restrictions relate to age, weight, smoking etc.

You could get hold of a copy of your CCG's IVF funding policy and then follow through their appeal's process in full (this may have more than one appeal's level which you could look to rely on).  If that doesn't work, you could think about making a formal complaint using your CCG's complaint's process. What's needed is a formal legal challenge, but this would likely involve complex and hard fought litigation which is an unattractive proposition from a patient's perspective.

I hope this helps a little.

Best wishes

Louisa


----------



## Mistletoe (Holly) (Jan 1, 2007)

This happened to me too. I feel for you.  

I have spent £16K on IVF treatments and have a son and a baby on the way, but it does feel really unfair when one of my colleagues had 3 cycles on the NHS, just because of your partner's past.


----------



## Marie dalton (Jul 3, 2013)

Hi,

Thanks for the advise Louisa. It really is frustrating. Especially when all our savings went into buying a house It feels really impossible at the moment. Thanks to one of the kind members on here I have now had my eyes opened to egg sharing. This could be my only hope as we just don't have the funds and wont have anytime soon for the full cost of a cycle, as you know in the world of fertility time is everything 

Mistletoe - Congratulations, its really lovely to hear success stories - just shows us we should never give up on our dream of the miracle little bundle  xx


----------



## LouGhevaert (May 18, 2009)

Hi

Whilst it's not directly helpful to your situation, I thought you might be interested to read the following comment about the changes to IVF funding in Scotland and my recent commentary in an article in the Scottish Daily Mail - http://www.porterdodsonfertility.com/2013/07/louisa-comments-on-recent-scottish-ivf-policy-changes/

I continue to lobby for change here in England on this issue.

Best wishes

Louisa


----------

