A Clynderwen mum-to-be who spent 12 years and £10,000 on IVF will tell politicians about her struggle to conceive at a briefing being hosted by local AM Angela Burns.
Kara Ellard is lobbying for parity between Wales and the rest of UK when it comes to NHS funding for IVF treatment.
She has helped to collect a 4,000 signature petition calling on the Welsh Assembly Government to meet NICE guidelines and offer three IVF cycles to women in Wales. Mrs Ellard had seven cycles of treatment before she became pregnant – only one was funded by the NHS.
She has been supported in her fight by South Pembrokeshire AM Angela Burns who is hosting the meeting in Cardiff tomorrow. (November 17).
“Welsh women are being treated in a shoddy way when it comes to IVF,” says Mrs Burns. “The evidence shows that giving women three rounds of IVF treatment gives them the best chance of conceiving and that is what women in Wales should get.”
The briefing at the Senedd will be addressed by hotel receptionist Mrs Ellard as well as Welsh health minister Edwina Hart, Welsh shadow health minister Andrew Davies and Lyndon Miles who is the Head of Embryology IVF Wales. Clare Lewis Jones MBE, the Chief Executive of Infertility Network UK and Jackie Brown, director of the Natural Health and Fertility Clinic, will also be speaking.
“This briefing is open to anyone with an interest in IVF and I would encourage people to make the trip to Cardiff to listen to what should be a fascinating briefing and to also have their say,” added Mrs Burns.
Photograph: Angela Burns AM receiving the 4,000 signature IVF petition from Kara Ellard (centre) from Clynderwen and her co-organiser Julia Eynon. Mrs Ellard, who is now pregnant after seven IVF cycles, will be speaking at a briefing on the Welsh IVF system being hosted in Cardiff by Mrs Burns.
