Couple shocked at free IVF rejection by NHS

Andrew and Gemma Standen have paid more than £40,000 for IVF treatments

A couple said they were shocked and angry after being told they could not get fertility treatment on the NHS because they had previously gone private.

Andrew and Gemma Standen, from Hampton-in-Arden, near Solihull, were referred by their GP for NHS treatment but said, faced with a 12-month waiting list, they decided to get the process started privately.

They paid £14,000 for their first round of IVF without realising it would disqualify them from getting free treatment.

A spokesperson for NHS Birmingham and Solihull Integrated Care Board (ICB) said its criteria for accessing NHS-funded IVF services were to ensure fair and effective use of NHS resources."

Mrs Standen was told by her consultant at Good Hope Hospital in Sutton Coldfield that, because she had already had a round of IVF, she was no longer eligible for free treatment.

The policy is the same across much of the West Midlands including Birmingham, the Black Country, Shropshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Elsewhere in the country, only two other ICBs do not offer IVF on the NHS after couples choose private treatment.

"It's such a slow process, so we decided to do private because we wanted to speed it up because of the age," Mr Standen told the BBC, adding the regional differences were "unfair".

"I don't see how they can make that decision and turn around to somebody and say, 'That's it, you're not going to have a kid'."

Andrew and Gemma Standen renewed their commitment to each other at BBC CWR's We Still Do celebration at Coventry Cathedral earlier this year

A spokesperson for the Birmingham and Solihull ICB said they understood the difficult, emotional journey couples were on when it came to fertility treatment.

"Criteria for accessing NHS-funded IVF services are set locally and are based on clinical evidence and the needs of our population to ensure fair and effective use of NHS resources," they added.

"Where there are exceptional clinical circumstances, patients who do not meet this criteria may be referred by their clinician for treatment via an Individual Funding Request."

'Eligibility varies by region'

The couple have now paid more than £40,000 for three rounds of IVF which were all unsuccessful.

They said they decided to stop trying and instead find contentment with their family as it is.

The couple renewed their commitment to each other at BBC CWR's We Still Do celebration in February.

University Hospitals Birmingham said: "We are sorry that Mr and Mrs Standen are disappointed in regard to their eligibility for IVF treatment.

"Eligibility for NHS-funded assisted conception varies by region, and this criteria is set by integrated care boards who commission IVF services. Appeals on eligibility can be made to the integrated care board."