Health chiefs have given the green light to cut funding for fertility treatment and cosmetic surgery.

NHS Eastern Cheshire CCG bosses, which run local health services in Macclesfield, will slash funding for In vitro fertilisation (IVF) as well as a raft of other treatments and surgeries as they battle a £12.4m budget black hole.

It means it will cut the number of IVF cycles for women from THREE to ONE, and completely stop offering various fertility treatments including surgical sperm recovery and sperm insemination unless part of an IVF cycle.

However, the CCG will continue to pay for up to six cycles of the less invasive intra uterine insemination (IUI).

The governing body also voted to stop funding surgery for breast reduction, the correction of breasts of different size, hair removal, and other procedures carried out mainly for cosmetic reasons.

It will restrict access to surgery to remove non-cancerous skin lesions, desensitising light therapy, ear wax removal in hospital, shoulder arthroscopy, hip injections and treatment for erectile dysfunction.

Patients already undergoing treatment will be unaffected by the new policy to be introduced over the next financial year. Dr Mike Clark, clinical lead for service review, said the CCG’s governing body had to make ‘tough decisions’ to keep vital services safe and affordable at a time of ever-growing pressure on the NHS.

He said: “None of us enjoyed making these decisions – and in an ideal world there would be no need to restrict access to care.

“However, these decisions are expected to make savings of £400,000 a year and help protect services, including urgent and emergency care, which are needed by many more people than those to which access will now be restricted.”

Dr Clarke said reducing IVF cycles from three to one, bring the CCG in line with most neighbouring CCGs and the majority of CCGs nationally.

The CCG launched a joint consultation with Wirral, South Cheshire, Vale Royal and West Cheshire CCGs on the plans last November and had 460 responses.

Dr Clarke said the CCG’s decisions took full account of the consultation and the views of respondents were ‘largely consistent’ with its proposals. For full details visit www.easterncheshireccg.nhs.uk .