IVF: 'People are being priced out of becoming parents'

Karen Marks said their house is "carnage", but the best thing is "seeing the world through their eyes"

Couples in Somerset are amongst those being "priced out of becoming parents", according to the charity and campaign group the fertility network.

National guidance suggests under-40s should have three full cycles of NHS treatment, but in Somerset they are only offered one partial cycle.

Karen Marks said she and her husband James, from Taunton, were "lucky" to have a successful IVF cycle first time.

NHS Somerset said its policy is similar to many other care boards in England.

It added that it provides more access to treatment than many care boards for same sex couples.

Only three out of the 42 integrated care boards [ICBs] offer three IVF full cycles to women under 40.

Women aged 40 to 42 are generally offered one full cycle.

Dr Catherine Hill, from the Fertility Network, said the ICBs "can do what they want, and they do", something she described as "a national disgrace".

Cameron, five, Gabriella, 18 months and Isabella, three, are technically triplets as they came from the same batch of eggs

Dr Hill explained the average success rate for all ages of women having IVF is about 25%.

"It puts families under incredible strain," she said, saying the NHS in Somerset actually only offers a partial IVF cycle, which includes "one fresh embryo transfer and one frozen embryo transfer".

A full cycle would allow the same amount of transfers as the number of embryos created, she said.

'It's unethical'

For those whose first cycle fails, it can cost £5,000 or more if they choose to try again using a private company, with potential additional costs for medicines, consultations and tests.

"We think it's unethical," said Dr Hill, adding that the treatment can be "financially very, very tough" on patients.

"They're being priced out of becoming parents."

She said infertility has a "massive long-term effect on mental health".

Mrs Marks (R) said going through IVF was "a difficult period, emotionally and financially"

Mrs Marks and her husband have three children conceived through IVF, who are technically triplets as they were all collected from the same batch of eggs and fertilised at the same time, though they were not transferred together.

She told BBC Radio Somerset she was "lucky" to have become pregnant with their son via the NHS-funded IVF cycle.

They then paid privately for four more egg transfers, at a total cost of about £10,000, resulting in their two younger daughters.

The couple had been trying to have children since they got married, but "nothing happened".

"Desperation is definitely the word. We literally tried everything," said Mrs Marks.

Mrs Marks said the private embryo transfer were expensive and they were "lucky to have those kind of savings"

If the first cycle had not worked, the couple would not have had another one on the NHS due to where they live.

"It's the one thing I've always wanted to be, I never knew wanted to do for work, but I've always wanted to be a mother," said Mrs Marks.

'Difficult choices'

"ICBs should be following national guidance," said Dr Hill.

"That guidance was put in place because having three IVF cycles was found to be the most clinically effective and the most cost effective treatment for infertility."

James Marks and his wife would have had to pay thousands for another IVF cycle if the first one had not worked

The NHS Somerset spokesperson said: "Like all areas of the country, we have finite resources with which to commission all required NHS health services and treatments.

"At times, this means we need to make difficult choices to ensure we have the right healthcare services in place for the whole population of Somerset."The spokesperson said the ICB was "committed to making the best use of the resources available for fertility assessment and treatment".