New IVF rules would still bar stepmums like me, says campaigner

A woman who was denied NHS fertility treatment because her husband already has a child has said she feels “let down” by proposals for new eligibility criteria.

Sarah Curtiss, 30, from North Hykeham, has polycystic ovary syndrome and spent years trying for a baby.

After being refused free IVF, she campaigned to change the guidelines on who can access treatment across the East Midlands.

The new proposals, which follow a review, maintain the stepchild rule, though NHS bosses insist no decisions have been made.

Ms Curtiss helped to start a petition in 2021 and called on local health boards to “update their antiquated policies”.

“The policy needs to be changed so it’s fairer for families across the board,” she said.

“I deserve to be a mum just as much as anyone else.

“To not have that opportunity simply because my partner chose to have a life before he even met me, it’s absurd and it’s not right.”

Eighteen months ago, Ms Curtiss welcomed news of a planned review of fertility policy across the East Midlands.

There are five integrated care boards providing fertility services and, at present, most policies require that neither partner has living children. The review aims to create one policy for the whole region.

Ms Curtiss previously said she had received assurances that the rule regarding stepchildren would go.

However, she said she felt “disappointed” and “let down” after reading the proposals for the updated guidelines.

Ms Curtiss, who is now pregnant, said she would continue to fight for other step-parents who needed support to have a child.

“If anything, this pregnancy has spurred me on”, she said. “To know I’m going to be a mum is a magical experience and I want others to have that feeling.”

A spokesperson for NHS Lincolnshire Integrated Care Board said: “We are conscious of the strength of feelings around fertility treatments and any proposals made around them, and this is why we are asking people to complete our survey and share their views, which will feed into the final policy.

“It is important to emphasise that, whilst we have put forwards a proposal, no decisions have been made.”

Listen to highlights from Lincolnshire on BBC Sounds, watch the latest episode of Look North or tell us about a story you think we should be covering here.