Would-be mother 'over the moon' as Victoria backflips on IVF ban

A woman who said her only chance at becoming a mother is through IVF is "over the moon" the Victorian Government has reversed a decision to pause the treatments as part of a halt on elective healthcare due a COVID-19 wave in the state.

The move to stop fertility treatments for hopeful mothers amid mounting cases of Omicron in Victorian hospitals saw widespread public backlash, with many arguing IVF procedures shouldn't be classified as elective.

Deputy Premier James Merlino announced this morning that some services will resume as soon as today, while others will restart by next Tuesday.

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Melanie Swieconek sobbed as she learned of the decision after making an emotional plea about her fertility situation.

"I am so, so, so thankful they heard us and they came to their senses," the 45-year-old said.

"We can all get back on track and start our cycles."

A petition demanding a backflip on the decision attracted almost 140,000 signatures, with medics involved in IVF also blasting the move.

Earlier this week Ms Swieconek explained IVF was her only chance to achieve her dream of being a mother.

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"This is something we are doing as our only opportunity to have a child," she said.

"We have tried everything else. This is something that is a necessity, and you are taking it away from us."

"You don't have any idea what this will do to some women.

"To put a blanket ban on IVF for three months... we think COVID-19 is a pandemic, infertility is a pandemic, and now we're dealing with both," she said.

"Our bodies cannot be paused."

"You have both made a decision that is greatly affecting not only myself but so many women around Victoria, and I can't even fathom how you came to the decision that you did."

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Premier apologises

Premier Daniel Andrews has apologised for the pause in IVF treatments.

"No one's pleased to have to turn off or pause any services across a health system," Mr Andrews said.

"Those already in the system still receiving, mid-cycle, they were still receiving IVF services. It was about not having new patients come into the system."

"I apologise for any distress," he said.

But Mr Andrews said new patients being able to start their IVF treatments next week is a "very good outcome".

Why IVF is resuming

Mr Merlino confirmed restrictions could be removed as the specialist nature of the IVF workforce, facilities and equipment were "not imperative to support the pandemic response at this time".

"Following advice from the Chief Health Officer, in vitro fertilisation (IVF) procedures suspended as part of the temporary changes to protect our hospitals will recommence to support Victorians who are wanting to start or grow their families," Mr Merlino said in a statement.

He confirmed the Department of Health would work closely with the Royal Women's Hospital to prioritise urgent patients and ensure changes don't affect the state's COVID-19 response.

"IVF is a challenging journey for anyone to go through, let alone in the midst of a global pandemic and we're deeply sorry for the distress caused by affected services in recent weeks," Mr Merlino said.

He also said further advice is being sought about "whether other services may be able to resume without a critical impact on current hospital workforce capacity".