DOCTORS in the town have voted to follow national guidance regarding IVF for the first time in more than four years.

Funding for IVF was cut in 2010 as a cost-saving measure before it was agreed in 2012 they could no longer 'justify' cutting free fertility treatment in Warrington and patients could have one free cycle.

On Wednesday, GPs voted in line with NICE guidance, and the majority of surrounding health bodies in the north west, to offer potential parents finding it difficult to conceive three cycles of IVF.

The change, which will kick in from April 2015 to coincide with the new financial year, will cost an additional £250,000 a year.

Andy Davies, clinical chief officer at Warrington CCG, said: "Offering less than three cycles is a bit artificial as there is a 33 per cent success rate with IVF which is why three cycles is the best value for money.

"It's not something we have funded so far but most conceptions occur within the first cycle and I think if we're offering IVF as a treatment for infertility we should adopt NICE guidance."

CCG members in the town voted during September's meeting to wait and see what other neighbouring areas would do before making the decision.

During the discussion, other members added it was important to have consistency with neighbouring areas and IVF funding was the only area where they did not meet NICE guidance.

The cost of the treatment was also discussed as Warrington CCG is the 'second worst funded CCG in North England' and is still being underfunded by £12m but Linda Bennett, associate director, added an eligibility policy would still be in place.

She added: "We would not just be opening the flood gates, it would still only be open to people who are eligible.

"The success rate is increasing all the time as technology improves and things should start to decrease in terms of expenditure."

Co-chairman of campaign group Fertility Fairness Susan Seenan said around 12 CCGs in the country had not been following NICE guidance but she was delighted Warrington had moved to funding three cycles.

She added: "NICE recommendations are based on clinical effectiveness and less than three cycles is not enough.

"To find out you can't conceive can be completely devastating for some people and is difficult enough before then finding out there's a medical treatment to help you but you can't get it because of where you live.

"It's totally unfair and really difficult for people to understand."

HAPPY Fearnhead mum Pippa Hampson is one of the many IVF success stories after giving birth to beautiful baby girl Dotty-Rose six weeks ago. 

But she admits she feels very lucky to conceive after her first cycle of fertility treatment and had already started saving in case she would need a second or third cycle. 

The 28-year-old added: "We were told it would cost between £3-5,000 and were saving up the money if it didn't work so it's nice to be able to spend that money on the baby now. 

"I was gutted to think I had to pay for something others can do naturally. 

"I was told if I moved to Liverpool or Manchester I would be able to get three free goes and it didn't seem fair because of where I lived I was missing out. 

"We had been trying for eight years and just feel really lucky now it has worked for us."