Eligibility variations in access to IVF

That this House notes with considerable concern the continuing variation in access to NHS-funded in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment across England, with some Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) applying eligibility criteria that diverge from National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidance; further notes that the Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West (BOB) ICB currently restricts funding to women under 35 and offers only one cycle of treatment, compared with NICE recommendations of up to three cycles for women under 40 and one for those aged 40 to 42 who meet clinical criteria; recognises that such restrictions do not reflect changing demographic and social realities, including that the average age of women beginning IVF is over 35 and the average age at first birth is around 31; is concerned that these disparities create a postcode lottery in access to fertility treatment and may disadvantage individuals who delay starting families for educational, career or financial reasons; also notes that women with medical conditions affecting fertility, such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), may be particularly impacted where eligibility criteria or referral processes are not clearly communicated or sufficiently flexible; acknowledges the financial pressures facing ICBs but believes that equitable access to fertility services should not depend on where a person lives; and calls on the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care to review national funding and commissioning arrangements to enable all ICBs to implement NICE guidance in full and ensure fair, consistent access to IVF across England.