Dr Raj Mathur
Chair, the British Fertility Society and Spokesperson for the
Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
More people than ever are accessing fertility treatments. Around one in six couples will experience fertility difficulties and may need help to conceive through in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) or donor insemination (DI).
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) is the UK regulator for fertility treatment and research. According to their 2021 data, around 55,000 patients had IVF or DI at a licensed fertility centre. In 18 to 34-year-olds, around two-thirds of IVF was privately funded.
Access to fertility treatment information and options
People should be able to access information about what is available in their area and understand the evidence behind various treatment options. They should also know the potential costs of treatments to enable better planning.
Accessing NHS-funded fertility treatment remains a ‘postcode lottery.’ There is variation in waiting times and in what treatments are funded across England and Wales. GPs can provide information on local funding and hospital waiting lists.
For people who access treatment privately, the
average cost of one cycle of IVF is around £5,000.
Transparency in costs and extra testing fees
For people who access treatment privately, the average cost of one cycle of IVF is around £5,000, excluding additional costs such as storing eggs or embryos, medication, diagnostics tests or clinic add-ons.
Everyone seeking fertility treatment should have access to impartial and reliable information about the treatment options and costs, as well as transparency on additional costs from any tests or add-ons offered alongside routine treatment.
Ways to enable access to IVF
The Women’s Health Strategy for England highlighted the need to address the unequal access to fertility services. They are committed to working with the NHS and HFEA to do this. This also saw the Government commit to making IVF more accessible for female same-sex couples.
A year on from the women’s health strategy, a new tool has been added to the gov.uk website, enabling women and people to see the provision of IVF provided by their local Integrated Care Board (ICB). This is a positive first step to making the variation in access to NHS-funded IVF more transparent.
The HFEA website also publishes useful information on choosing a clinic. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists is calling for all ICBs in England and the Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland to ensure equitable access to fertility services and offer three, full NHS-funded cycles of IVF.
