A PETITION against York being only area in the UK not to fund fertility treatment has been signed by nearly 800 people.

Today a petition containing 786 names was sent to the Vale of York CCG in protest of its U-turn on offering one cycle of IVF to couples.

Despite announcing it would provide a single cycle of the fertility treatment IVF, the Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) backtracked on the decision on a 5-4 vote, deciding to delay plans because it cannot afford the service.

The group York Fertility Network launched a petition against the "postcode lottery" - calling for York to bring its policy in line with the rest of the UK.

Karen Boardman, IVF campaigner, said: "This petition demonstrates how this decision has angered and hurt so may people in York. It is often not easy for people to talk about infertility or trying to conceive but through this people have been able to voice their pain and anxiety over the unfair postcode lottery that York people have to face."

As a result of the petition, the York Fertility Network has seen a marked increase in the number of people accessing the support network and sending messages of support.

"It has truly touched people's hearts", Mrs Boardman said, "We have been overwhelmed by the huge number of signatures in such a short space of time. Hopefully this will send the message to the CCG that they cannot treat people in York so unfairly and that they need to re-look at their figures. If every other health authority in the UK can offer IVF why can't York?"

A spokesman for Vale of York CCG has said: "The Governing Body’s recent decision to delay the commissioning of IVF was due to the current financial pressure facing the organisation. The cost pressure for this could be as much as £2 million, taking into account the four-year freeze on funding.

"The CCG hopes that the non-commissioning of IVF will be a temporary position, recognising the disappointment of this decision for many couples affected with sub-fertility. The aspiration to meet National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) criteria and to commission IVF services for couples in the Vale of York still remains."

-Y ork Fertility Network meets on the first Monday of the month at El Piano, Grape Lane from 7-9pm. You can contact the group at yorkfertilitynetwork@gmail.com or by phone/text 07960 801786.