Gynaecologists can refuse to allow patients in a ‘very unstable’ relationship or who have serious psychological problems to undergo fertility treatment, according to new guidelines drawn up by the Dutch gynaecologists association.

The guidelines say IVF treatment can be refused on the grounds that there will be too great a risk to the future child.
Parents who have abused or neglected their children, or who are addicted to drugs, educationally subnormal or have serious inherited diseases can also be denied fertility treatment, the association says.
Until now, it was up to individual doctors to decide whether or not to accept patients for treatment. This has led to some ‘shopping around’ for someone willing to help them, the Volkskrant says.