Fertility treatment is to start back up again in Tameside and couples who were made ineligible by coronavirus delays or had their treatment disrupted can access new cycles, bosses have confirmed.
The clinical commissioning group in the borough normally funds three cycles of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for women aged 39 and under.
Women aged between 40 and 42 are offered one full cycle of IVF, provided they have never previously had the treatment.
However, a report to the strategic commissioning board states that some couples may have had their cycle cancelled due to the requirement to stop treatment with ‘immediate effect’ in April due to the pandemic.
Some patients with an ongoing cycle may have also have had it cancelled or abandoned due to them developing coronavirus symptoms.
And the stopping in treatment due to Covid-19 may also have meant that some women reach the cut-off age for their first, or further, IVF cycles because their treatment start had to be delayed.
However the board has now put forward mitigation proposals to honour the original number of cycles agreed at the start of a woman’s treatment.
Clinical lead Dr Christine Ahmed told the committee: “In line with the national guidance we obviously had to pause assisted conception treatment for the last couple of months.
“Treatment can restart and any missed treatment will be instigated again basically.”
Replacement cycles will take place when the original cycle had to be cancelled or abandoned, and to allow an extension of the cut-off age to enable the original number of cycles to be completed.
Director of commissioning, Jessica Williams added : “I think this is a pragmatic and a fair approach.
“It’s not obviously these women or these couples’ fault that this has happened to them.
“IVF is obviously quite limited anyway in terms of what the NHS can provide so this seems like a fair and reasonable and proportionate response moving forward.”
