INFERTILE women and couples will have to wait and see if the Isle of Wight NHS adopts new guidelines on IVF treatment.
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) has announced new guidelines, recommending women aged between 40 and 42 should be offered one cycle of IVF treatment on the NHS.
Previously, women up to the age of 39 were offered up to three cycles. That will continue.
A decision on whether to adopt the new guidelines, which are not mandatory, will be made by the Isle of Wight Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG), a new organisation responsible for buying health services following sweeping government reforms of the health service.
An NHS spokesman said: "The responsibility for commissioning IVF services moves from the South Central Specialised Commissioning Group to individual CCGs from April 1 and it will be for them to review and amend existing local policies in the light of the announcement regarding revised NICE guidance.
"CCGs will, in the interim, adopt the existing policies, while they review and revise in line with the latest guidance."
However, a report published in 2011 by an all-party group of MPs found more than 70 per cent of health trusts — including the Isle of Wight trust — were ignoring the official guidance and failing to offer enough IVF treatment, sparking criticism of a postcode lottery.
Reporter: emilyp@iwcpmail.co.uk