FRESH calls have been made for York to offer fertility treatment to couples on the NHS after new guidelines stated it was a core service.

York Outer MP Julian Sturdy has appealed to the the Vale of York Clinical Commissioning Group - the only area in the country not to offer a single cycle of IVF - following the publication of a new quality standard by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

Professor Gillian Leng, NICE’s deputy chief executive, criticised the Vale of York CCG for failing to provide infertility treatment, saying it was "unacceptable" that parts of England were ignoring NICE recommendations.

Mr Sturdy, who recently met representatives from the Fertility Fairness Campaign in Parliament, said it was “yet further evidence that the York CCG must now urgently reconsider its position on these core services”.

He said: “I know from the many constituents who have contacted me on this issue that infertility itself has an absolutely awful impact on people’s lives, causing stress and depression with the potential to tear otherwise healthy relationships apart.

"I cannot imagine how frustrating it must be for families in our area to go through all of these emotions, only to find that treatments are available everywhere else in the country except York."

The Vale of York CCG said commissioning of IVF services "carries a great element of financial risk for the CCG" and said it could cost the local health economy up to £2 million.

They said it was a tough choice and the CCG hoped to offer the treatment in the future and aspired to meet NICE guidelines. The matter will be discussed at the December 2014 Governing Body.

The spokesperson said if commissioning went ahead, couples would be "eligible for funding if they have self-funded up to two unsuccessful IVF cycles."