Vitial clinic services: Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes (second from left) with Goulburn Valley Health representatives Matt Sharp, Donna Sherringham, Carmel Brophy and Nicole Inglis at the opening of the public IVF clinic.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
The dream of starting or growing a family for Goulburn Valley parents who have struggled to conceive naturally might be one step closer to coming true.
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A $120 million investment from the Victorian Government has made it easier for women to access public IVF services across Victoria at five regional hospital services, including Goulburn Valley Health in Shepparton.
State Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes opened the service on Friday, November 24.
In partnership with the Royal Women’s Hospital, the service will provide women with more efficient and affordable access to vital IVF services across the Hume region.
Women seeking public fertility care could visit their GP or specialist, who will refer them to the Royal Women’s Hospital, and they will organise eligible patients to access treatment at GV Health.
The service will support 5000 people annually across Victoria, which is equivalent to 3375 treatment cycles.
GV Health aims to take in 126 cycles over the next year.
There has been no public or private IVF treatment service in the Goulburn Valley and people wanting to access it had to travel to Melbourne, Albury-Wodonga or Bendigo.
GV Health chief operating officer Donna Sherringham said it was a welcome addition to the growing women’s health service.
“The GV Health women’s team has been building their service again over the last 18 months, and this is part of that build of bringing care local,” she said.
“We’ve been working with our new redevelopment to bring the services locally, and one of the next steps is our early pregnancy clinic, which is being led by a nurse practitioner.
“We will have a range of services from preconception to postnatal care, so it’s a great opportunity for completing that range of services for the local region.”
Welcome clinic: GV Health chief operating officer Donna Sherringham.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
The funding for this service is targeted at training staff, IVF treatments and specialised ultrasound equipment, which Mrs Sherringham said was rare for a public health facility.
“It’s an ultrasound that is looking at the ovary and all the stimulation, all the follicle development,” she said.
“It’s an enhanced skill development for the team here, and we’re quite fortunate that the funding has included that equipment.”
The opening marks the first anniversary of the rollout of Victoria’s public fertility care services.
Since launching, more than 1100 Victorians have started their IVF treatment journey.
Game-changer: Member for Northern Victoria Jaclyn Symes said it was a amazing to see the difference public IVF services were making.
Photo by
Megan Fisher
Ms Symes said it’s been amazing to see the difference this service has already brought to many women’s lives.
“It is really challenging when you have fertility issues,” she said.
“It can be very lonely, it can be very scary, and then you have added barriers of living regional and having limited options for IVF, which are usually in Melbourne or in a larger centre with cost barriers.
“This is a game-changer; in fact, it’s a life changer.”
To be eligible for IVF treatment, a woman needs to be under 43 to start their first cycle, be a resident of Victoria, have fertility issues and have a Medicare card.
For information about the public fertility care service, visit the GV Health website.
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