25 signatures reached
To: BaNES Clinical Commissioning Group
Stop cuts to IVF services in BaNES
Don't restrict access to IVF services to women so that becoming pregnant is dependent on you ability to pay. BaNES Clinical Commissioning Group are consulting to restrict the age that you can have IVF treatment on the NHS to between 23 and 35 years old.
Why is this important?
The NHS Clinical Commissioning Group for BANES is consulting to make drastic cuts in IVF treatment locally. Only women between the ages of 23 and 35 will be eligible (and you need to have started trying for a baby from 33 yrs old -- 2 years before treatment is offered).
By the time young people may feel more financially secure, it will be too late for them to access IVF treatment if they need to. But this is exactly the age when women's fertility starts to drop sharply and they will be most in need of IVF and related treatments.
The well off will be able to afford to go privately for IVF treatment - but not others. This is a complete abandonment of the main principles of the NHS: that treatment should be available to all, irrespective of wealth or income. Why should people be discriminated against on financial grounds?
The proposal to cuts in IVF treatment in BANES is cruel and will be devastating to thousands of younger people over the years to come.
It is appalling that harsh government cuts have resulted in a situation where provision of NHS treatments is becoming so arbitrary and unequal
Infertility is a medical condition that should be addressed like any other organ impairment and addressing organ impairment or failure should not depend on ability to pay.
The consultation ends on 27th December. The CCG is inviting comments on the link below.
Contact.http://www.bathandnortheastsomersetccg.nhs.uk/say-proposals-restrict-access-three-non-urgent-services
