A distraught woman was denied IVF on the NHS - because her partner has a child from a previous relationship.
Victoria Shann suffers from endometriosis, which means the the womb lining starts to grow in other places.
Despite undergoing two operations in the past 10 years, she has faced a struggle to conceive, HullLive reports.
The 37-year-old went to see her GP in 2020 to try and arrange IVF treatment.
After filling in a form where where she said she hadn't been able to have children, a panel ruled she was ineligible for treatment because her partner of five years had a child from from his previous marriage.
His child is 12 years old, and she sees them on weekends.
But she has always dreamed of having her own children, but could miss out on being a mother.
To be eligible for IVF, according to the NHS, a couple cannot have any children already from current or previous relationships.
Victoria said: "They are not thinking about the individuals like me and other women in my circumstances. It makes me feel really upset, they have refused treatment to someone know they don't know and have not met.
"My partner's child was from his previous relationship and that was a long time ago. They won't give me any treatment or medication because of this.
"There are people out there who have kids and hurt them and have them for all the wrong reasons. But then you have me, who wants a child more than anything with my partner.
"I don't see my friends anymore cause I find it hard seeing them with their kids and it's what I want. It makes me think about what I am missing out on. I would be an amazing mum and I have a lovely and supportive man."
After being rejected IVF, Victoria was hoping to receive Clomiphene, a prescribed medication that is taken orally to help with conception, but was also denied it due to her partner's child.
She added: "I am not someone who can go to the bank and get loads of money to pay for private treatment. It just hurts that they would not give me any help.
"I am doing everything I can so I can be a mother, but I can't get the help I need."
The Hull Clinical Commissioning Group is responsible for providing IVF treatment in the city and the policy clearly states no couple can receive treatment if either partner has previously had children.
The policy states: "Neither partner should have any living children (this includes adopted children but not fostered) from that or any previous relationship."
Fertility UK says there is no overriding policy and it is at the discretion of individual clinical commissioning groups as to who is eligible for IVF treatment. It says this can create a postcode lottery.
It says: "In England, this comes down to your Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and what its fertility policy is. Unfortunately, the level of treatment offered is very much a 'postcode lottery' and is determined by each individual CCG.
Some CCGs may not fund treatment if, for example, there are existing children – even if they are not from the current relationship, don’t live with you and/or are grown up. Some may fund if one partner has no children."
