NHS fertility treatment suspended in West Sussex until the new fiscal year

Some people would say that if you get something for free, you really shouldn't complain too much if it's faulty, late, slow, or not all that. If you moan when Twitter goes over capacity, or all your followers disappear, you may very well get messages telling you to chill out, be grateful and get a life. However, when it's medical care that you're seeking, does that apply?

Okay, so the NHS medical care isn't "free." It's subsidized. Everyone pays in to the system, but we are meant to benefit from medical care based upon need. Coming firmly down on the side that says fertility treatment constitutes a need, not just a desire, I think it's well within our rights to moan, whine and bitch when it's withheld, or even postponed, because of budget constraints. Why? Not just because I like a cause. It's because the NHS is a government scheme, thus a political machine that becomes complacent if ignored and responds to public pressure. It needs to be held accountable for its decision-making.  If we want a particular level of service, we have to be vocal about it.

Patients in West Sussex have just learned that all fertility treatment has been put off now until the NHS's next fiscal year, beginning in April, 2011. Not just fertility treatment, but also treatment for obesity, varicose veins, vasectomies and even knee operations.

Acting medical director Andrew Foulkes said*: “Our ageing population means that more people rely on the NHS when they are affected by cancer, stroke, dementia, diabetes, and many other serious conditions. “We have invested heavily in improving these services in recent years. “To make sure that we can all access services when we need them, it is necessary to prioritise how the budget is spent although we know that for some patients this will mean waiting slightly longer for treatment."

What is the real impact of this decision? Take into account that:

• It often takes a couple over a year to consult their GP about a failure to conceive;
• Couples are often sent away for several more months with well-meaning suggestions of how often to have intercourse, how to de-stress and make other lifestyle changes;
• Once the GP agrees to make a referral for fertility treatment, there can be lengthy waiting times; and
• Each couple has a window of opportunity for NHS treatment, based upon the woman's age.

The impact could be that a woman who is coming up to her 40th birthday could be denied treatment before the cut-off date and miss out on NHS-funded fertility treatment entirely. Foulkes said “It is also important to remember that there is no blanket ban for any treatment – if someone has a compelling medical need, they will be treated.” Will a woman's imminent 40th birthday be considered a compelling medical need?

My other question relates to the amount of fertility treatment available as a percentage of the NHS budget. If 4 months worth of postponed procedures are being shifted to the new fiscal year, that suggests that there is 1/3 less fertility treatment being performed than was originally budgeted. That doesn't mean that the missing 1/3 is being added to next year's procedures; rather, they will be coming out of the new budget. Unless the budget is increased substantially, which is very unlikely to happen in this economy, another 1/3 of patients will find their fertility treatment postponed or disallowed. The postcode lottery has just had its odds increased.

*As reported by Siobhan Ryan in The Argus.

Comments

[Nicola]

I am one of the last nhs patients at my clinic who got funded. I booked early for my January IVF and I am so pleased and lucky. I feel for those who have been denied funding. What makes it worse that it is not nationwide which in a way would be easier to accept. It is certain area's which have been cut off.

[Lisa Marsh]

Hi Nicola,
I'm happy to hear that you aren't a victim of these recent budget cuts. I agree that the postcode lottery makes denial of funding seem especially unfair to some. I would like to hear from people who have experienced this and get tips from those of you who have been more fortunate. I believe in the power of a grass roots campaign, so the more people who are aware of the uneven provision of medical care, and particularly fertility treatment, the better.
Lisa

[Annissa]

I know that infertility treatment is very expensive and I wish it wasn't for those who struggle to pay for it. I don't know anything about this place or what is going on there, but I hope that there can be ... a happy medium I suppose :( Though I don't know if there is any such thing as a happy medium ....

Happy ICLW from #37 and HAPPY HOLIDAYS!!