Finally - a response from Jayne Brown, Interim CE of North Yorkshire and York PCT

In September 2008 we forwarded this Blog and the list of comments everyone kindly left. Almost four months later they decided to respond. Of course it is not good news and we had already found out for ourselves (and posted here) regarding the current situation.


15/01/2009

Dear Mr and Mrs (Postcode Losers)

Thank you for your email dated 23 September 2008 with regard to IVF and sub fertility services, and for enclosing a copy/print out of your blog, which I have read with interest. Please accept my apologies for the delay in responding to you.

As you are aware, in May 2007, the PCT took the very difficult decision not to routinely commission assisted conception services for the majority of couples (other than those where the female partner was approaching 39 years and 6 months) and at that point, the waiting list held by Leeds General Infirmary was closed to new patients. We do regret that this is a far from ideal situation but unfortunately, as Janet Soo Chung's letter to all patients pointed out, it was felt necessary to take this action in the face of the severe financial deficit which the PCT faced at that time.

Since then, I am pleased to report that the financial situation has improved and we have now been able to re-assess the situation for financial year 2009/10 with regard to funding of assisted conception services. Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to re-open the waiting list to new patients. However, we have been able to agree to treat all those patients who were placed on the Leeds General Infirmary NHS waiting list on or before May 2007. From next month onwards, patients will begin to be called through in priority order of having been placed on the waiting list for a review clinic outpatient appointment with a view to treatment following as soon as clinically appropriate.

Once all the waiting list patients have been treated, the PCT will review the position with regard to whether or not new patients can once again be added to the waiting list.

You may be interested to know that two senior members of PCT staff recently met with Clare Lewis-Jones, Chief Executive of Infertility Network UK, for a full and open discussion about infertility services for North Yorkshire patients.

I hope you find this information helpful, however if I can be of any further assistance please do not hesitate to contact me.

Yours sincerely

Jayne Brown OBE
Interim Chief Executive

Some great news (for us at least)

As we couldn't get funding for IVF via our local PCT, we decided to fund a course out of our own pockets and it worked first time! We are over the moon!!! On top of that, we have been fortunate enough to conceive twins. Yes - after all the heartache that 2008 brought us, 2009 looks set to be a much, much better year! We are due at the end of June.

We will be keeping this blog running and will update it as and when we hear any more news from North Yorkshire and York PCT with regards to any changes in their stance on their provision of the service and we both hope that anyone else finding themselves in similar circumstances to us are as fortunate as us!

It is such a shame that North Yorkshire and York PCT continue to refuse to accept that they have a duty to provide this treatment to ALL couples without their petty restrictions. I hope that some day soon they will finally follow almost every other PCT in England and provide at least one course of treatment on the NHS. By the way 'NHS' is an acronym for NATIONAL Health Service...