Women over 40 could get IVF on NHS
Updated guidelines due this week could increase the eligible age from 39 to 42
Women over 40 could have IVF on the NHS under updated guidelines reportedly due to be announced this week.
Currently IVF is only offered on the NHS to women aged 39 or under, but new guidelines this week are set to suggest this should be increased to 42, reports The Daily Mail.
The draft of new guidelines from National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence suggests raising the age limit to 42 for some women who have not had fertility treatment before, and have no other chance of having a baby.
Under the changes women would be given one attempt at IVF rather than the recommended three cycles for younger women.
NICE reportedly says it wants to ensure that everyone who has fertility problems has “access to the best levels of help”.
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Other recommendations due to be made include making it easier for lesbian couples to receive free IVF, if they have already tried other techniques, and cutting the amount of time that couples need to wait before being referred to IVF from three years to two.
The new proposals for free IVF for women over 40 were initally raised by NICE in May last year.
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