This is not guaranteed of course and waiting times can still typically be longer than private patients but it might be a risk worth taking. It is always worth doing your own research on clinics in your area before you get the call for the appointment so that you can make the best decision when provided with your options.
It may surprise you that 6 in every 10 infertility treatment cycles are privately funded. This could be as a result of the strict NHS eligibility criteria and limited funded cycles in certain areas e.
Some people complain that private clinics are just interested in making money. That they charge you the main price but then there are other things you need that are not included in the main price so you can end up paying much more than the initial cost you saw. People criticise the add-ons that private clinics advertise even though they are not evidence-based. The key is to do your own research.
On the whole we get feedback that private clinics have nicer surroundings, free parking, shorter wait times, greater choice of treatments and clinics, more flexibility around your commitments and greater dedicated care. You should bear in mind though that some private clinics are based within an NHS hospital.
With the NHS, once you have completed your one-three cycles you will then need to transfer to a private clinic and pay for any further treatment you wish to try. Find this article useful? Consider sharing! Share Tweet Share Email. Types of fertility treatment available in primary or secondary care include: Advice on lifestyle changes to aid a natural conception, such as weight loss and smoking cessation Medical treatment for lack of regular ovulation Surgical procedures, such as treatment for endometriosis If infertility is diagnosed, or after all treatments and recommended lifestyle changes have been tried and infertility remains unexplained, a referral for assisted conception treatment may be made.
Fertility preservation Fertility preservation usually involves the harvesting and freezing of eggs or sperm that may be thawed for use in future assisted conception treatment. Eligibility Fertility preservation is only available on the NHS to patients whose ongoing medical condition or treatment is causing, or is likely to cause, permanent harmful effects on sperm or egg production.
Who is eligible for assisted conception treatments on the NHS? The key eligibility criteria are as follows: Commissioning status The prospective mother must be a registered patient of a GP practice in SWL at the time of commencing on the ACT pathway. For single women or same-sex female couples this means 12 cycles of unstimulated IUI over at least 12 months.
Sterilisation Neither the patient or their partner, if they have one, should have undergone previous sterilisation. Childlessness The couple have no living child from their current relationship and at least one of the prospective parents does not have any living children from a previous relationship. A child adopted by a patient or adopted in a previous relationship is considered to have the same status as a biological child.
Age of woman Prospective mothers must be aged no more than 42 years old i. Please note that this policy only applies to adults only.
Body mass index BMI Prospective mothers must have a BMI of between 19 and 30 for a period of at least six months prior to commencement of treatment.
Smoking status Each patient and their partner, if they have one, must have been non-smokers for at least six months prior to commencement of treatment. Alcohol and recreational drug use Each patient and their partner, if they have one, must give assurances that their alcohol intake is within Department of Health guidelines and they are not currently using recreational drugs.
Please note that IUI for single women and same-sex female couples is not routinely funded. What if I do not meet the eligibility criteria in full? Why is surrogacy not funded by the NHS? What are the chances of IVF? You should be offered counselling to help you through the process. If you don't meet these criteria, you may need to pay for private treatment.
If you turn 40 during treatment, the current cycle will be completed, but further cycles should not be offered. If tests show IVF is the only treatment likely to help you get pregnant, you should be referred for IVF straight away. Again, if tests show that IVF is the only treatment likely to help you get pregnant, you should be referred for IVF straight away. NHS trusts across England and Wales are working to provide the same levels of service.
But the provision of IVF treatment varies across the country and often depends on local health board policies. Some clinics can be contacted directly without seeing your GP first, but others may ask for a referral from your GP. There may be additional costs for medicines, consultations and tests.
Make sure you find out exactly what's included in the price during your discussions with the clinic. Some people consider having IVF abroad, but there are a number of issues you need to think about, including your safety and the standard of care you'll receive. Clinics in other countries may not be as regulated as they are in the UK. You can read about private fertility treatment and the issues and risks associated with fertility treatment abroad on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority HFEA website.
If you're having problems getting pregnant, see your GP. They will look at your medical history and give you a physical examination. They may also recommend some lifestyle changes to help fertility. Unless there are reasons that may put you at high risk of infertility, such as cancer treatment, you'll usually only be considered for infertility investigations and treatment if you've been trying for a baby for at least a year without becoming pregnant.
If appropriate, your GP can refer you to a fertility specialist at an NHS hospital or fertility clinic. The specialist will ask about your fertility history, and may carry out a physical examination. Women may have tests to check the levels of hormones in their blood and how well their ovaries are working. They may also have an ultrasound scan or X-ray to see if there are any blockages or structural problems. If IVF is the best treatment for you, the specialist will refer you to an assisted conception unit.
Once you're accepted for treatment at the assisted conception unit, you and your partner will have blood tests for HIV , hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Your cervical screening tests should also be up to date.
The clinic should also check that you've been offered a screening blood test for sickle cell and thalassaemia if your ancestors come from a country where these condition are more common.
If you're planning to use donor eggs, check that these have been screened. The specialist will investigate the number of eggs in your body your ovarian reserve to estimate how your ovaries will respond to IVF treatment. This can be assessed by measuring a substance called anti-mullerian hormone AMH in your blood, or by counting the number of egg-containing follicles, known as your antral follicle count AFC , using a vaginal ultrasound scan.
Your specialist will then discuss your treatment plan with you in detail and talk to you about any support or guidance you may find helpful. What happens during IVF may differ slightly from clinic to clinic, but a typical treatment follows the main steps below. You are given a medication that will suppress your natural menstrual cycle. This can make the medicines used in the next stage of treatment more effective. This medication is given either as a daily injection which you'll be taught to give yourself or as a nasal spray.
You continue this for about two weeks. Once your natural cycle is suppressed, you take a fertility hormone called follicle stimulating hormone FSH. This is another daily injection you give yourself, usually for about days. FSH increases the number of eggs your ovaries produce. This means more eggs can be collected and fertilised. With more fertilised eggs, the clinic has a greater choice of embryos to use in your treatment. The clinic will keep an eye on you throughout the treatment.
You will have vaginal ultrasound scans to monitor your ovaries and, in some cases, blood tests. About hours before your eggs are due to be collected, you'll have a final hormone injection that helps your eggs to mature.
You'll be sedated and your eggs will be collected using a needle that's passed through the vagina and into each ovary under ultrasound guidance. If you're having trouble getting pregnant, you should start by speaking to your GP. They can advise on how to improve your chances of having a baby. If these measures don't work, your GP can refer you to a fertility specialist for a treatment such as IVF. Read more about getting started with IVF. Once the embryo s has been transferred into your womb, you'll need to wait 2 weeks before taking a pregnancy test to see if the treatment has worked.
Read more about what happens during IVF.
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