A couple from Sheffield are campaigning for a change in NHS fertility rules after being denied IVF treatment because one partner already has a child. Rebecca Wainwright, 34, and her partner Rhys have been trying for a baby for six years, experiencing two ectopic pregnancies and a miscarriage.
Ms Wainwright said the decision was 'devastating' and called the rule 'disgusting' and 'discrimination'. She added: 'I don't understand why I shouldn't be allowed help to have a child as I've never had my own biological child.' The couple have set up a GoFundMe page to pay for private treatment.
Rhys, who has a 16-year-old son from a previous relationship, said: 'It's my past that is stopping Becca's future.' Sheffield Hallam MP Olivia Blake has written to the minister for women's health, Gillian Keegan, calling for an end to the 'postcode lottery' in IVF provision.
NHS Sheffield Clinical Commissioning Group said the policy was agreed in 2020 with other Yorkshire CCGs and is in line with NHS guidance. The Department of Health confirmed that the guidance is under review.
