Couples struggling to have children are increasingly likely to be denied NHS-funded fertility treatment, with several Clinical Commissioning Groups preparing to halt or restrict offering IVF because of financial concerns.

Mid and North East Essex became the first CCGs in the country to stop funding treatment for healthy couples last month, and more are now planning to do the same.

The Basildon and Brentwood group, also in Essex, and South Norfolk are considering slashing funding from three and two IVF cycles per couple respectively to zero. Somerset CCG has proposed to reduce funding from two cycles to one with decisions expected by January.

The groups have all cited funding pressures as the reason behind the proposed changes, and the simultaneous timing has sparked concerns that more CCGs may follow suit.

The two Essex CCGs will only fund treatment in "exceptional circumstances" – for example where the male partner has a transmittable infection or one partner is undergoing cancer treatment.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) recommends up to three cycles of IVF for women under 40 who have not conceived after two years and one cycle for some women aged between 40 and 42.

One IVF cycle results in a live birth for just under 33 per cent of women aged 35 or younger, 28 per cent of women aged 36-37 and 21 per cent of women aged 38-39, and just over one in eight women aged 40-42 will be successful. Having just one cycle therefore severely limits the chances of couples having children.

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