In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is a fertility treatment which led to the birth of more than 20,000 babies in 2023 – or roughly one in every classroom – according to data from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.
South Yorkshire ICB took the decision to reduce the number of cycles available to new patients in the region at a meeting on Wednesday.
A report prepared for the meeting said the change would save about £400,000 a year, but there was a “potential risk of additional demand on other services such as mental health support” for couples affected by the decision.
Reacting to the change, Doncaster councillor Gemma Cobby said: “The devastation of couples, women, individuals, will be more significant and they won’t realise that for a couple of years. It’s just really heart-breaking.”
Jane Cox, another councillor at the authority, said: “One round of IVF is shocking. I’m actually quite stunned.
“It’s dreadfully unfair as few people get pregnant from their first cycle.”
Doncaster and Sheffield councils and some local MPs objected to the change, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.