A growing number of areas in England have axed IVF treatment on the NHS and the proportion offering the recommended three cycles of treatment has fallen to just over one in 10, the Guardian can reveal.

The data, gathered by the Fertility Network UK, also show that a further one in 10 are considering restricting or axing fertility treatment, amid widespread NHS cuts and the rationing of services in an effort to save money.

Despite guidance from the NHS group Nice (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) that women under 40 should be offered three cycles if they have been trying to conceive for two years, the number no longer offering any cycles has increased from four to seven in the past 15 months.

'How many IVF cycles an area offers isn't always clear' Read more

The number of clinical commissioning groups offering the recommended three cycles has fallen from 16% (33) to 11.5% (24) in a year

Experts said patients now face a postcode lottery of services, with some families even moving across the country to find an area that offers three IVF treatment cycles. Others are travelling abroad for treatment

Aileen Feeney, chief executive of the Fertility Network, said: “[IVF] seems to be seen as something that can just be cut. [Infertility] is not being considered as what it is, which is a disease that has massive impact on those suffering from it.”



She added: “On top of all the emotional and physical stress of infertility then you have the unfairness of the fact that people cannot have access to something their neighbour could. Then there is the massive financial pressures of going private.”

Feeney noted that people were now going abroad for cheaper treatment, which carried risks. “In the UK the general policy is there is a single embryo transferred,” she said. “But when people go abroad frequently they have multiple pregnancies because more than one embryo is transferred. The biggest risk factor to that is babies being born prematurely.”

The Fertility Network UK had also heard of one family moving 200 miles from Berkshire, in the south-east of England, to Bury in Greater Manchester so they could get three cycles of IVF.

Anne-Marie Minter, 33, and her partner Craig, 34, made the move to maximise their chances of having a baby because they were only entitled to one cycle of treatment at their previous address.

“We were apprehensive at first as it is so far away from friends and family,” she said. “But we are lucky the area is really nice and both our jobs are allowing us to work from home and be so flexible.”

Anne-Marie Minter added: “Everyone should have the chance to get three cycles because it means they have a fair chance to conceive. Infertility is becoming more prevalent than ever before due to environmental factors and people wanting to start families later in life and have a career first.”

Craig said it was important the NHS took fertility problems seriously. “We are a healthy couple and put money into the NHS all the time ... when you need it you want it to be there. For us IVF would give us a chance at happy complete life and if you’re happy then better off in every sense.”



Prof Simon Fishel, founder and president of Care Fertility Group, said he was surprised by the rise in cuts, adding that infertility was being targeted because people don’t understand it. “They don’t understand the pain of this disease,” he added.



“It’s tragic for those who are in need and it’s unfortunate that we still have an iniquitous postcode lottery ... You could be in the same street virtually and have different criteria ... I accept NHS is strapped for cash but cuts have to be done in a fair and equitable manner across the UK.”

Geeta Nargund, medical director of Create Fertility, which runs fertility clinics, said: “These level of cuts are simply unacceptable and go against the founding principles of the NHS to provide an equal and fair access to treatments.”

Since last year, Herts Valleys and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) have removed all IVF services. Southend and west Essex have cut the number of cycles offered from two to one.



At the time of making the decision, Dr Jose Garcia Lobera, chair of Southend CCG, said: “It has been incredibly tough decision to make ... We are aware it will be a huge disappointment for people affected by fertility issues in Southend.”

A West Essex spokesperson said: “The current climate means we are in the tough position where we have to evaluate every service we commission.”



Other CCGs have introduced tighter access criteria. Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire have reduced the the age limit for prospective fathers and same-sex partners to 52, and will now fund treatment only for couples where neither partner has a living child.

In London, Croydon last year became the first London borough to stop funding for IVF. The decision was made to help save £836,000 annually.

NHS Clinical Commissioners, the organisation that represents clinical commissioning groups, said: “CCGs are led by GPs whose first priority is always to the patient. Wherever possible they want to give them what they need. Unfortunately, the NHS does not have unlimited resources ... there are some tough choices that have to be made.



“With huge pressures being felt across the whole health and care system, the NHS has to review services to ensure they are sustainable and improve the health of the wider population.”