Public overwhelmingly reject plans to cut IVF treatment in South Yorkshire
The cost-cutting measure was announced in July and a public consultation exercise has just closed.
A public consultation on whether the NHS should halve the number of IVF cycles offered to help South Yorkshire couples trying to conceive a baby has rejected the proposal.
The NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board (SYICB) was due to decide on November 5 whether to the cut the fertility treatment from two cycles to one. The decision has now been delayed until December 3, according to the SYICB website.
The cost-cutting measure was announced in July and a public consultation exercise has just closed.
Of the 1,706 people who responded, 82% wanted two cycles to continue and 96% said that those who are already in the process should be allowed to continue with their second cycle.
Reasons for opposing the cuts included the right to parenthood, the harmful psychological impact and the financial hardship of seeking private treatment.
The South Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Joint Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee discussed the public consultation results on Tuesday (October 21). The meeting at Sheffield Town Hall involved councillors from the region.
The NHS locally service is under pressure to make budget savings. The total cost of people accessing IVF treatment in South Yorkshire in 2024/25 was £1.97 million.
Reducing the cycles from two to one could save £280,000 annually and £1.4 million over five years.
A report to the committee said that the NHS has been asked to prioritise access to GP appointments and elective treatment in hospitals and to improve waiting times for urgent and emergency care including in A&E.
It added: “The NHS in South Yorkshire has a duty to live within our financial allocation and to break even (balance the books) each year. In addition we have a duty to secure the best investment for the funds that we have been allocated to provide high-quality care for local people.”
Coun Eve Keenan from Rotherham Council said: “You mentioned potential mental health consequences for individuals and I can completely agree with that from personal experience of my daughter, who is sadly at the beginning of this horrendous process.
“It is horrendous – it takes so many, not months, years, to even get to the point where you get offered your first round of treatment.
“What assessment has been made of the potential mental health outcomes for our people in Rotherham and South Yorkshire, Derbyshire etc when they’re only going to get one IVF cycle?”
Dr David Crichton, SYICB chief medical officer, said there is already a high demand for mental health services and it is likely that would increase if cycles are cut.
“As a clinician with a GP background I’ve supported many people and there is the disappointment when people aren’t successful.”
He said the whole process is full of anxiety because there is no guarantee couples will have a child. “We are mindful of that and it’s come through as a strong theme of the consultation.”
Coun Keenan also asked what would be in place for cancer survivors and others with a complex medical history. Dr Crichton said that exceptional cases are considered by a specialist board.
Coun Dave Knight said that cross-party opposition to the cut was agreed by the City of Doncaster Council in September. He said councillors felt it would create a “postcode lottery on family rights, putting Doncaster and South Yorkshire at a disadvantage to other areas in the country”.
He added that the mental impacts on the couple and family and the need for NHS mental health services could outweigh the savings made. Couples might turn to riskier options, such as treatment abroad, unsafe sex with unknown partners or ordering semen from unknown donors.
He asked about success rates and was told it is around 29% for the first cycle and about 30-45% for the second.
Coun Mick Stowe from Barnsley asked: “Can we be assured that any proposed changes are carefully managed, ie phased changes, so anybody who has started the process will not receive any decrease in terms of their needs?”
Dr Crichton said he believed that recommendation will be put forward to the board.
Committee chair Coun Laura McClean of Sheffield City Council said: “It’s that worry about inequalities and there are some families who can afford to go ahead and pay for second or third cycles but there are many families who cannot do that and will not choose to go ahead.
“There is the risk of people taking on debt or travelling elsewhere to get treatment that might not be up to the right standards.
“If the proposals do go ahead, how will the impact of that change be monitored and considered in the future?”
Dr Crichton said people need to look carefully into receiving any treatment abroad, whether it be fertility treatments, bariatric weight-loss procedures, plastic surgery or dentistry.
“People do go abroad and the service is not regulated in the same way as in this country. We know people do that but we couldn’t say we’d really support that unless you really do your homework as to what the impact of that will be.”
He said the NHS would always evaluate the impact of any new policy or decision.
Lisa Kell, SYICB programme director for population health, said: “We will work closely with our providers and with the clinical teams that care for these individuals.”
She said the impact of reducing cycles would be carefully considered first and the timeline would have to be agreed with hospital NHS trusts.