A HEALTH boss was ‘very disappointed’ with the turnout at a public engagement meeting on a proposal to cut IVF treatments.

The consultation meeting focused on Worcestershire Clinical Commissioning Groups’ (CCGs) proposal to reduce the number of NHS-funded In Vitro Fertilisation cycles for infertile women from two to one.

People had to book a place at the meeting over the phone or via email.

Mari Gay, interim chief operating officer for Worcestershire CCGs, said she was ‘very disappointed’ that there were no members of the public at the meeting on Wednesday, March 29.

“We will do it again as many times as we need to to engage and will go through other routes to promote it if we need to,” she said.

She also said the engagement exercise, which was held at St Richard’s Hospice, in Wildwood Drive, Worcester, was the only public meeting on the proposal to cut assisted conception.

Ms Trussler, who lives in Lodge Drive, Malvern, was diagnosed as infertile last year and said she wished she knew about the meeting.

The 27-year-old was ‘devastated’ when she found out that she had premature ovarian failure and said it was extremely rare for someone of her age.

“I would like to have known about the meeting. I knew nothing about it until last night (March 29). I don’t know where they advertised it,” she said.

Bryn Griffiths, from Worcester Trades Union Council, said he was the only member of the public at the meeting.

“It is the first meeting I’ve ever been to where I am the public. This is at least some attempt to give some facts,” he said.

He added that he was glad the meeting was held in the evening, which gave working people the chance to attend.

Ms Gay’s colleague said the meeting was promoted in a document on the CCG’s website and also through Healthwatch Worcestershire, although a representative from the watchdog said they only found out about it the day before.