MP Rachel Gilmour has called for a new ‘cluster’ of three NHS boards to ensure fertility treatment for patients across the area is raised to the highest standard of the trio rather than falling to the lowest.

NHS Somerset is merging with NHS Dorset and NHS Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire (BSW) by April next year to form an Integrated Care Board (ICB) cluster to save money.

Mrs Gilmour said: “With the merging of several ICBs, the leadership team now have a choice.

“Do they want to collectively raise the standard of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) care offered by the best ICB, or let it drop to the lowest common denominator?

“I know what my constituents would want to see from the new cluster, and it is not a harsh restriction on the ability to access IVF services.”

Mrs Gilmour has written to the new cluster chairman Rob Whiteman and its chief executive Jonathan Higman calling for high standards to be maintained.

She expressed concern that rather than coming together to promote fairer standards for prospective parents, the new cluster would instead ‘equalise’ at Somerset’s lower standard.

Mrs Gilmour said it could otherwise put ‘the dream of biological parenthood’ out of reach for many families across the cluster area.

She also shared her own experience of receiving NHS fertility treatment before her third and fourth children.

Mrs Gilmour said: “Having gone through fertility treatments myself, I know the tremendous impact processes like this can have on a family.

“Without these treatments, I would not have two of my wonderful children.

“I urge the ICB to do the right thing for families across Somerset, and raise up the access to the levels of Dorset or BSW, not the other way round.”