A COUPLE have told of their heartbreak after the NHS refused what could be their last chance to try for a baby.

Sally and Andrew Bowen, of Bournemouth, had their hopes of conceiving crushed when Bournemouth and Poole Primary Care Trust informed them that they would not fund their fertility treatment because of the national shortage of sperm donors.

The move comes despite guidelines that state donor insemination (DI) should be available to those in need.

Sales assistant Andrew, 37, of Hall Road, West Howe, was diagnosed with Klinefelter’s syndrome over 10 years ago, which prevents him from producing healthy sperm. When his GP told him that DI was an option, he and Sally, 39, thought they would have the child they longed for.

But at £3,000 a time, they could not afford to pay for the treatment and applied to their local PCT after being referred by their doctor.

Andrew said: “I just think it is so unfair. Even if we were given one go then at least we could say we have been given the chance.

“There are a lot of people with my condition and when I was diagnosed, I was told that donor insemination was an option but clearly it isn’t if you don’t have the money to pay for it.”

The couple, who have been together for four years and married for one, started enquiring about fertility treatment last year. A series of tests, which cleared Sally of any medical issues, found that DI was their only option and that they met the criteria. Both have lost weight and quit smoking.

Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) state that DI should be offered to people with conditions like Andrew’s. Neighbouring Wiltshire PCT offers three cycles of the treatment to those who fit the criteria.

Sally added: “It is so frustrating.

“We understand there is a shortage of donors but I’m 40 next year and it’s like a ticking time bomb.

“It’s because of Andrew’s condition that we can’t have children, so why won’t they even consider us?”

Claire Lewis-Jones, chair of the National Infertility Awareness Campaign, said: “There is no doubt that the current shortage of both egg and sperm donors has had a huge impact but it is totally unacceptable for any PCT to refuse to fund treatment on this basis.”

A NHS Bournemouth and Poole spokesperson said: “With a national rise in the number of people seeking help to overcome fertility problems, the local NHS has a clear policy on fertility and assisted conception.

“Currently, donor insemination is not supported by the policy, although individuals may apply to the PCT to be considered as an exception to the policy.”