A woman denied a permanent form of birth control on the NHS over fears she might regret it, while men were allowed contraceptive procedures, has won her case with the health ombudsman.

Leah Spasova, a psychologist from Oxfordshire , spent a decade fighting to obtain female sterilisation at her local trust, a procedure that blocks or seals the fallopian tubes to prevent pregnancy. By contrast, men can undergo a vasectomy, a procedure that stops sperm from being released.

She was refused the sterilisation procedure on the NHS, with her local trust citing concerns about potential regret and cost-effectiveness.…