I am a critical care nurse, someone who has dedicated their adult life to the NHS, caring for patients and families during their most vulnerable moments. Long shifts, holding hands in intensive care units, and giving everything I have to a system I wholeheartedly believe in is more than just my job; it's my commitment to the greater good. But now, in my moment of need, that very system has let me down.

Like so many others, I have discovered that access to fertility treatment on the NHS depends not on medical need, but on location—an unfair postcode lottery that dictates quality of healthcare without regard to individual requirements. In my area, there is only one funded round of IVF available. Just one chance. It's hard to comprehend how such essential healthcare access could be determined by geography.

The injustice stings deeper knowing that the guidelines for fertility treatment under the NHS are inconsistent across different regions in the UK. While some areas offer up to three funded cycles, others, like mine, provide just one. This discrepancy jeopardises the futures of many who are left hoping for a family, relying on a single attempt. The cost of additional rounds, often costing thousands per cycle, makes further treatment inaccessible for many.

Research indicates that success rates for a live birth increase significantly with multiple cycles. According to the UK’s Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the success rate of achieving a live birth goes up considerably with three full cycles of IVF—as opposed to just one.

I urge decision-makers in the Department of Health and the NHS to standardise fertility treatment availability across all regions of the UK. We need a transparent, equitable approach that allows access based on need, not postcodes. Let's ensure that every individual experiencing fertility issues has the fair opportunity that medical science can provide.

Overall, the average success rate per IVF cycle resulting in a live birth is approximately 20–35%, with outcomes varying significantly depending on age and other factors. Despite this, access to IVF treatment across the UK is inconsistent. Some areas currently fund up to three rounds of IVF, while others — including our local area of Kirklees — restrict patients to just one funded cycle.

Rather than ensuring equal access and improving outcomes by aligning all areas to the same, evidence-based standard of care, the current proposal is to reduce provision so that everyone is limited to a single round of IVF. This approach significantly lowers the chances of success for many individuals and couples, effectively setting them up to fail rather than giving them a fair and realistic opportunity to build a family.

Our health system should support everyone equally, irrespective of where they live. Please sign this petition to end the postcode lottery for IVF treatment, and give countless couples a fighting chance at starting the families they dream of.