CHILDLESS couples in South Cheshire will benefit from regional NHS moves to end the postcode lottery in fertility treatments.
Waiting lists for free fertility treatment will be cut as part of a major shake-up which will also end the situation of some couples being denied vital help simply because of where they live.
The aim is that no childless couple should ever have to move house simply to get better treatments.
A major consultation has been launched across Cheshire and Merseyside to make it easier for childless couples to access treatments.
Health officials have described the initiative as 'brave' and said it would keep the North West at the forefront of fertility services.
Regional director of specialist services John Develing said: 'This is fantastic news for residents who are experiencing fertility problems.
'More people who really have the need will be able to conceive. The North West has always led the rest of the country when it comes to fertility treatment. A lot of other religions will be looking at our model to see how it is done.'
All 16 Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) in the area, including the Central Cheshire PCT which serves South Cheshire, have joined together to draw up the proposals, which include a £1.5m expansion of fertility services.
Although some areas of the country provide no fertility treatment on the NHS, all 16 PCTs in this region provide some level of service.
But across Cheshire the wait for treatment is three years. Bob Hodson, chairman of the Joint PCT Committee, said: 'Currently, PCTs are using a range of different ways of prioritising people for treatment. Some people are eligible when others in exactly the same situation, living only a short distance away, are not.
'To make sure access to services is fair for all local people, we want to put the same criteria in place across the region.'
