Shortcomings drive fertility treatments out of UK
Widespread cutbacks to National Health Service budgets, shortages of donors, and high costs are sending British couples abroad for infertility treatments
Although infertile couples in the UK have access to free IVF treatments from Britain’s National Health Service (NHS), figures show that the number of IVF treatments at the NHS has hit a record low amid budget cutbacks, according to a recent study.
The study by Fertility Clinics Abroad found that restrictions imposed by Britain’s health services, a chronic shortage of donors, and the high cost of private treatments were the key factors driving a boom in “fertility tourism” outside the UK.
According to health service guidance from local Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs), women under 40 should be offered up to three IVF cycles for free by the NHS, regardless of whether either partner has had children in previous relationships. But the reality is that many areas of the country have imposed their own restrictions to the point that just two percent of areas meet the criteria, with only 12 percent funding up to three cycles and only in some circumstances. Some have outright bans on funding IVF, while almost two-thirds offer one cycle at most.
A shortage of donors in Britain, resulting in a waiting time of six to nine months for treatment, together with the high cost for private infertility treatments, have also created additional stress for British couples seeking to have children. As a result of these conditions, the study, which looked at 241 infertile couples in the UK, found that 93 percent were considering treatment abroad, while 44 percent had already undergone infertility treatment abroad.
Popular countries for infertility treatment include Spain, Greece and the Czech Republic, while some were considering going as far as Nigeria, Tunisia and South Africa in an effort to find affordable treatment, sometimes at almost half the cost. But fertility campaigners expressed deep concerns over couples potentially exposing themselves to safety risks in third countries with less rigorous regulations.
This story was originally published in the Global Health and Travel issue of October 2017
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