Woman refused IVF on NHS because partner already has child from previous relationship

Victoria Shann has been told she has endometriosis, which is when the lining of the womb starts to grow in other places, and has had two surgeries in the last 10 years and has struggled to father a child

A desperate woman was refused IVF NHS – because her partner has a child from a previous relationship.

Victoria Shann suffers from endometriosis, which means the lining of the uterus starts to grow in different places.

Although she has had two surgeries in the past 10 years, she has had trouble conceiving. HullLive reports.

The 37-year-old went to her GP in 2020 to try and arrange IVF treatment.

After she filled out a form saying she could not have children, a panel ruled she was ineligible for treatment because her partner of five had a child from their previous marriage.

His child is 12 years old and she sees them on the weekends.

But she has always dreamed of having children of her own but could give up being a mother.

According to the NHS, to be eligible for IVF, a couple must not already have children from current or previous relationships.

Victoria said: “You don’t think of people like me and other women in my circumstances. It really pisses me off that they refused treatment for someone they know they don’t know and haven’t met.

“My partner’s child is from his previous relationship and that was a long time ago. They don’t give me any treatment or medication for this.

“There are people out there who have children and hurt them and have them for the wrong reasons. But then there’s me who wants a child with my partner more than anything.

“I don’t see my friends anymore because it’s hard for me to see them with their kids and that’s what I want. It makes me think about what I’m missing. I would be a great mother and I have a loving and supportive husband.”

After being refused IVF, Victoria was hoping to receive clomiphene, a prescribed drug taken by mouth to help conceive, but was also denied because of her partner’s child.

She added: “I’m not someone who can go to the bank and get a lot of money to pay for private treatment. It only hurts that they wouldn’t give me any help.

“I’m doing everything I can to be a mother, but I’m not getting the help I need.”

The Hull Clinical Commissioning Group is responsible for providing IVF treatment in the city and the policy is clear that no couple can receive treatment if either partner has previously had children.

The policy states: “Neither partner should have surviving children (including adopted children, but not foster children) from this or any previous relationship.”

According to Fertility UK, there is no overriding guideline and it is up to each clinical mandate group to decide who is eligible for IVF treatment. Word is this could create a zip code lottery.

It states: “In England this depends on your Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and your fertility policy. Unfortunately, the level of treatment offered is very much a ‘zip code lottery’ and is determined by each individual CCG.

Some CCGs may not fund treatment if, for example, children are present – even if they are not from the current relationship, are not living with you, and/or are adults. Some can fund if one partner doesn’t have children.”