NICE publishes draft update to Fertility Guideline

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommends three NHS-funded IVF cycles for those eligible under 40, with potential for three more if unsuccessful, in a proposed guideline update.

Since 2004, NICE has recommended that the NHS should provide three full cycles of IVF to any woman (under 40 years of age) who meets certain eligibility criteria. In a long-awaited draft revision of its Fertility Guideline, NICE has retained this recommendation, adding that professionals should 'consider' offering 'up to three further full cycles of IVF treatment', if the first three cycles have not been successful and if the patient has not yet reached 40.

'The evidence considered by our committee demonstrates that providing three IVF cycles to women under 40 with fertility problems offers them a good chance of a successful pregnancy,' said Professor Jonathan Benger, chief medical officer and interim director of the centre for guidelines at NICE.

However, the Fertility Policy Tracker maintained by PET (the Progress Educational Trust) shows that 40 out of 42 Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) in England currently fail to...