A married lesbian couple are celebrating what they are calling an ‘equality victory’ after their local NHS branch offered same-sex couples equal access to IVF
Megan and Whitney Bacon-Evans had launched a High Court case against the local NHS board, Frimley because they felt that proving their infertility with 12 expensive rounds of treatment was unfair before they could be eligible for help.
The social media influencers, known as Wegan, revealed this amount of treatment could cost in the region of £25,000 to £30,000 and have been campaigning to get equal access for same-sex couples for several years.
When they launched the online petition with Change.org, the couple just wanted to be mums.
Megan said: “All we want to be is mums, but we’re being discriminated against for our sexuality and pushed into the private sector.”
The campaign caught the eye of the legal firm Leigh Day in 2021, and they launched a legal battle against Frimley Integrated Care Board(ICB).
Frimley ICB asked for the case to be delayed while considering its policy, and the judge agreed. Now it has volunteered to offer the same access to fertility treatment as heterosexual couples.
The couple told the Guardian: “When we started, we didn’t think we would achieve equality, and the fact in two and a half years we went from feeling like this issue was completely ignored to taking the ICB to the high court, to the government promising to offer equal access to IVF, is beyond what we could have hoped for.”
Above: Megan and Whitney Bacon-Evans
