Fertility treatment fund 'halved' in Isle of Man
Funding for fertility treatment in the Isle of Man is to be cut by half, the government has said.
Last year it helped 32 couples conceive - at a cost of £100,000 - but this year that will be capped and reduced to £50,000.
The saving will be made by limiting IVF treatment to one cycle per couple after a review of the fertility care.
A government spokesman sought to reassure residents, saying all forms of fertility care were still available.
He said: "The provision is still very reasonable as compared to the UK.
"Many NHS trusts limit IVF treatment available on the NHS to one cycle.
"Here we are not part of NHS and are subject to financial restraint. And whilst IVF is important it's not something we can open our chequebooks for.
"We can't let it get too expensive or it starts to affect other services and we have to think about other things we have to keep or cut so this is a reasonable compromise."
Patients from the island are sent to the UK for IVF treatment with all costs covered by the Manx government.