‘Long waiting lists and patchy care provision’- NHS-funded IVF cycles fall to 14-year low

The proportion of NHS-funded IVF cycles in the UK has fallen to the lowest level for 14 years, leaving fertility patients either unable to access treatment or forced to go private.

Some 27 per cent of IVF cycles were funded by the NHS in 2022, the lowest figure since 2008 and a sharp fall on the 40 per cent which it provided in 2012, according to the latest annual report by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).

The number of NHS-funded cycles of IVF fell by 17 per cent in England, 16 per cent in Wales and seven per cent in Scotland between 2019 and 2022, the report showed. The East Midlands of England saw the biggest fall during that time, down 48 per cent.

The regulator said the fall may be being fuelled by the rise in NHS waiting lists, meaning it is taking longer for many patients to see a specialist in the first place.

Such delays can mean that women seeking help with fertility lose their window for treatment, as the chances of success fall.

Julia Chain, chair of the HFEA, said: “Our data shows the average age of patients starting treatment for the first time is now nearly six years older than the average age at which women in England and Wales gave birth to their first child.

“There are several possible factors for this including the knock-on effect of delays across the NHS due to the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly in gynaecology, which has likely led to delays in some patients accessing fertility services.”

The higher average age, Chain said, may also relate to difficulty in funding fertility treatment, owing to recent increases in the cost of living, a fall in the proportion of NHS-funded IVF cycles and increased waiting times for further investigations before accessing NHS-funded treatment.

Leila Thabet, general manager at Maven Clinic, told Femtech World: “Today’s figures highlight what many of us working in the field of women’s health have known for some time – fertility treatment is extremely challenging to access on the NHS.

“NHS IVF treatment is subject to long waiting lists and patchy care provision, often with inadequate support for the emotional toll the treatment takes.

“Women undergoing IVF will all need different types and levels of support as every IVF journey is different. This personalised treatment is not something the NHS is set up to provide, so even where women are lucky enough to benefit from NHS fertility treatment, they may need to turn to other providers for additional physical and emotional support.”

She added: “Women going through IVF often describe it as all consuming. It impacts every aspect of your life – physically, emotionally and practically. Juggling IVF treatment and a career are notoriously hard, for example. Add the huge financial toll, and we can clearly see why fertility treatment is life changing in every sense, no matter the outcome.”