More couples will soon be able to apply for IVF funding after it emerged last month that dozens of would-be parents were being denied help when only 10% of the government’s dedicated budget had been spent.
Health Minister Deputy Tom Binet confirmed in July that just £62,000 of the £620,000 set aside for funded in vitro fertilisation treatment had been used since new criteria was introduced in January, prompting calls from campaigners to expand what they dubbed overly “restrictive” criteria.
During that time, 43 islanders were seen by the Assisted Reproduction Unit but did not qualify for funding. Of these, two-thirds were denied financial support because they or their partner already had a child (biological or adopted).
“This isn’t about asking for extra funding – it’s about ensuring the money already allocated reaches the people it was intended to help,” Chloé Fosse of fertility charity Tiny Seeds told Express at the time.
But Deputy Andy Howell, the Assistant Minister with responsibility for women’s health, announced yesterday this was now being addressed, and that couples will now be eligible for funded IVF even if one partner has children from a previous relationship.
The updated policy will also remove the requirement for same-sex female couples to prove infertility through artificial insemination attempts before accessing funded IVF.
“I do recognise that we are underspent on budget, and for that reason, I would like to announce today that we are going to be making changes from October 1st,” she said.
Addressing the panel of politicians responsible for scrutinising health policy, she continued: “When the first round of changes to IVF funding were announced last year, I committed to keeping these under review in the hope that we would be able to extend the offer and support more couples with IVF funding,” she explained.
“I’m delighted that we’re now in that position, so we’re going to make three changes.”
Under the new policy, couples will still be responsible for covering the costs of donor sperm or eggs, as this will not be covered by the government.
The last amendment to the criteria involves updates to residency requirements for islanders.
Couples were previously required to be a Jersey residents for at least 12 months before being eligible for treatment.
However, this is being waived for certain individuals and couples.
Instead, eligibility will be based on whether the couple qualifies for HCJ-funded healthcare, allowing long-term Jersey residents who have returned after living elsewhere to access funded IVF without waiting a year.
Health Scrutineer Deputy Lucy Stephenson had previously expressed her concerns over the strict criteria, stating that the funding and treatment had been “needlessly rationed”.
She and the panel welcomed the new updates.
Panel Chair, Deputy Louise Doublet said: “I’m delighted not just for the LGBTQ+ community, but for families across the board who need to access this.”
Despite these changes to the policy, concerns were raised by the panel regarding couples who had previously self-funded.
It was confirmed that the government will fund up to three rounds of IVF, however, previous rounds of treatment funded by islanders will also be included in the total rounds of treatment.
Couples who are currently in the process of undergoing treatment will not receive any financial support or reimbursement in light of these new updates.
Islanders who are eligible for the treatment will still be required to fund their own travel and accommodation.
When asked whether this was considered when updating the policy as this would fall on couples to fund, Mrs Howell said: ” I recognise that, but I’d rather that we were helping more people have the treatment.”