#MyFertilityMatters: Partner of former Westlife singer Brian McFadden backs our campaign
She's joined calls for fairer treatment just months after giving birth to a baby girl thanks to IVF
Last updated 21st Jul 2021
The partner of former Westlife singer Brian McFadden is joining forces with almost 14,000 people across the country calling for IVF rules to change.
It’s after we highlighted how a women from Lincoln was denied treatment on the NHS because she’s already a stepmum.
Danielle Parkinson recently had a baby girl through NHS IVF treatment, even though Brian already has two children.
She’s now backing our campaign and calling for an end to the 'postcode lottery'.
"I felt awful for those women that aren’t getting the help that I’ve had just because of where I live"
"I felt awful because I’ve had it and I’ve got a partner with two children and that’s so unfair.
"Why am I any different to anybody else just because of where I live? I’m not.
"If that’s the Governments standing on it, that you’re with a partner who already has children unfortunately you can’t get help, then that should be the same for everybody.
"I just find it very unfair."
What is the IVF postcode lottery?
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence fertility guidelines suggest who should have access to IVF treatment on the NHS.
But individual health groups, or CCGs, have the final say on who can have NHS-funded IVF in their area.
Many differ in their criteria for support, with some stricter than others, which means you can be offered different treatments depending on where you live.
Campaigners are calling for an end to this.
"Postcode lottery should not exist at all"
Fertility experts we've spoken to have also called for change.
Professor Geeta Nargund runs a private clinic and is also a lead consultant for reproductive medicine.
"There is a deep inequality in access to fertility treatment and that should not be happening because as a national health service we should have consistency across our nation.
"Patients are distressed they are not able to get the funding when someone else they know in a different region, with exactly the same age and criteria, are able to access funding.
"If they’re successful, it’s great, but if they’re not successful at least they can come to terms with the fact that they had treatment and they can achieve closure."
What does The Department of Health and Social Care have to say?
“Patients should have fair and equal access to NHS infertility treatment when they need it.
“Decisions on IVF funding and treatment are rightly made by clinical commissioning groups in line with NICE guidelines which set out how infertility treatment can be offered in the most cost-effective way.”
"Decisions on the provision of local health services are made by independent local Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), and these are based on the clinical needs of the local population.
"NHS England has oversight of the whole commissioning system and has stated that it expects all those involved in commissioning infertility treatment services to be fully aware of the importance of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) fertility guidelines.
"We are committed to creating a health and care system that works for all women and we urge all women to come forward and share their experiences in our call for evidence so we can create the first government-led Women’s Health Strategy that will improve the health and wellbeing of all women across England."