PCT to look again at no IVF ruling
HEALTH bosses in North Staffordshire are to look again at why they refuse to fund fertility treatment when other parts of the country routinely approve it on the NHS.
NHS North Staffordshire is one of only a handful of PCTs in England that do not routinely provide IVF or other fertility treatments.
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The PCT's board of directors has approved a revised list of low priority treatments that will not receive routine funding, and once again this included IVF.
But the board also agreed to look at other PCTs' prioritisation procedures in order to discover why they had approved funding for fertility treatment.
While most of the board supported the decision to exclude IVF, non-executive director Naomi Chambers questioned why priorities should be so different in North Staffordshire.
She said: "I can't find the reason why our population is so very different, with such different priorities, that we can't fund at least some IVF."
The vast majority of PCTs, including NHS Stoke-on-Trent, fund at least one cycle.
Low priority treatments are those which are either marginally effective or ineffective in the vast majority of cases, or shown to be an inefficient use of resources. Treatments added to the list in North Staffordshire included tattoo removal and complementary medicine. The PCT only provides these treatments in exceptional cases, following an individual funding request.
Dr Richard Page, chairman of the trust's professional executive committee, said: "Under our robust system, IVF is still quite low on the list. We've got to go to other PCTs and find out why they're funding it. Are they going through a similarly robust system of prioritisation? If they are, we might have a problem with our system. But if they are not, we have to stick by our system."
In the last 12 months, the PCT received 11 requests for fertility treatment for North Staffordshire couples. All the requests were supported by the patients' doctors but all were declined by the PCT.
Marie Crutchley, of Knutton, paid privately for three IVF cycles before having her first son, Ethan, three years ago, and then had another two cycles for her second son Sam, who is eight-weeks-old. She spent £22,000 in total on IVF treatment.
The 27-year-old said: "It's a postcode lottery and the PCT needs to reconsider. Financial worries add to the depression when a cycle fails."
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by jolene, stoke
Tuesday, October 20 2009, 8:19PM
“postcode lottery is digusting.we live in stoke so we are discriminated.if we live in bolton or stockport its free,how brill who thought this rubbish up a bloke.yes but us poor stokies can afford a new hospital cant we,funny hey.....did we really need a new one thats wasting money isnt it...you could sell up and move.why should we cause we live in stoke its disgraceful....”
by Rachael, stoke
Saturday, September 19 2009, 9:03PM
“This is an emotive issue but basically the point is - medical care (for any condition from infertility to heart problems to ingrowing toe nails) shouldn't depend on your postcode. The NHS should provide a certain level of care based on medical needs not postcodes. I think that is the issue here. This article could easily be about cancer treatment or physio.”
by Anon, Meir
Saturday, September 19 2009, 6:25PM
“As one of the many who cannot have children naturally, I have been subjected to the post code lottey and refused IVF on the NHS. However, I and my husband spent over £11,000 to try and conceive a child through this wonderful process, which does work for many people. Sadly, not for us.
Unless, you are a person who is undergoing, or has undergone this treatment, then you cannot really understand the mental anguish that not having a child puts you through. Each month having the tell tale signs, after the treatment, Mother Nature whacking you in the face saying No Not This time. It is hard, it does cause such heartache and in my case, yes it did lead, in part, to a divorce.
I feel as though I am not a true woman, as I cannot fulfill my "role" as a mother.
Who has the right to decide whether or not I should (not that I can now, following treatment for cancer) be allowed to have help off he NHS.
No-one, unless you have been through it personally, can understand how a woman (or man for that matter) feels. I know that I felt useless, and did blame myself.
Sorry, but I think that this is a justified treatment that should be paid for by the NHS, unlike the hundreds/thousands of abortions, cosmetic operations and others too numerous to mention.”
by keeleparkie, newcastle
Friday, September 18 2009, 8:32PM
“if you are not able to have children then live with it. Enjoy being there for your families children, nieces and nephews,etc. if you feel that you can provide a child with a home then go through the very hard process of adoption. look at the population growth of the the world and realise that this cannot be sustained forever. if you cannot have children but really do want a child, then adopt one that does really need your complete devotion.”
by Rustinho, Silverdale
Friday, September 18 2009, 3:47PM
“Andrea, staffs - what difference does it make if Darren, Stone, has kids or not? Surely there is no pre-requisite to having an opinion? (Even if it differs from whatever yours may be)”
by andrea, staffs
Friday, September 18 2009, 1:04PM
“Darren,
You obviously haven't got kids.”
by Darren, Stone
Friday, September 18 2009, 12:54PM
“Sharon
Is there not a big difference between making money privately, and merely just covering costs?
Also re: doing the right thing; one could argue that using the money to help children in care, for example, would be more right than using the same money to help to bring another child into the world.”
by andrea, staffs
Friday, September 18 2009, 12:38PM
“Good one Sharon, I fully agree.”
by sharon, newcastle
Friday, September 18 2009, 12:29PM
“no matter what people think of the rights and wrongs of IVF no one in the right mind would put themselves through this traumatic procedure unless they were going to love the child more than life itself, some one created this procedure to give life not make money privately, with all the bad and evil going on in the world cant we for once do the right good thing?”
by Kelly, Staffs
Friday, September 18 2009, 11:53AM
“Yay! Good on ya Looby. Shame it can't happen that way!”