COUPLES struggling to have children will be offered more access to IVF treatment in the East of England, it has been announced.

COUPLES struggling to have children will be offered more access to IVF treatment in the East of England, it has been announced.

Primary Care Trusts in the region will implement a new fertility policy that will offer more chances to childless couples by increasing the choice of fertility treatment.

Couples who have difficulty conceiving and who meet recommended eligibility criteria will be offered up to three cycles of treatment at a choice of five fertility service providers.

Previously, only one or two cycles of NHS funded IVF treatments have been offered and patients have, until now, not had the benefit of such a wide choice of treatment centres.

The East of England region is one of the first to fully implement guidance on IVF made by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in 2004.

Trevor Myers, director of the East of England specialised commissioning group, said:

“This new policy is the result of an extremely successful collaboration of clinical experts, patients and NHS managers that will ensure a much fairer approach across the region.”