Overweight Women Denied IVF in Devon

Devon fertililty clinics are having to turn increasing numbers of women away because they're too overweight.

On the NHS, ladies can't qualify for IVF treatment if they're obese because certain investigations won't work.

Devon Consultant Gurpreet Pandher says they're having to refer more women back to GPs for weight-loss advice "some ladies are half a stone or a stone over weight - if they lost that weight their fertility would almost return. With other ladies it's a lot more. I would say half our ladies are overweight on their original referral"

She explained why they are so strict, "IVF for sub-fertility is less successful so if you've got a limited pot of public money you want to give that money to people who are most cost effective i.e. have the greatest chances of success. Being overweight reduces that."