Infertility costs

How much does infertility treatment cost?

Fertility treatment can be expensive and costs vary from one clinic to another. You may be able to get funding via the NHS but there are strict criteria and long waiting lists to deal with which can be off-putting.

Everyone is different when it comes to treatment and it can become very complicated. It’s a good idea to ring around several clinics and obtain quotes before proceeding any further.

As a rough guide you can expect to pay the following:

• IVF: £4,000 or more (a single cycle of treatment)
• IVF/ICSI: £5,000 or more
• GIFT: £5,000 or more
• ZIFT: £2,000 or more
• IUI: £500 upwards

These are average figures only.

Can I have infertility treatment on the NHS?

Possibly although this depends upon which part of the UK you live in. The NHS will pay for fertility tests such as blood tests and ultrasound scans but has limited funding for treatments such as IVF.

The NHS will pay for IVF treatment although this will be limited to a set number of cycles. But what you will find is that this varies from one area to another.

The reason for this is because funding is allocated according to need and this is controlled by your local Primary Care Trust (PCT). They will have a set of guidelines regarding funding for fertility treatment which includes a set of strict criteria.

If you are lucky then your PCT will be able to pay for 3 cycles of IVF with minimal waiting lists. But others are less fortunate and have to endure long waiting lists and funding restricted to 2 cycles or even just a single cycle of treatment.

Your first step is to talk to your GP. He or she will decide whether you fit the criteria before referring you to your PCT for funding.

It can be frustrating but if you can’t afford to go privately then you have to play the waiting game.

What is ‘fertility tourism?’

This is the name given to those patients who choose to seek treatment abroad rather than stay in the UK.

With the advent of cheap flights and greater consumer choice, people are free to be treated anywhere in the world but this is something which needs to be thought about very carefully.

Treatment can be cheaper abroad than the UK and this is very tempting to people who are on a tight budget. Plus many companies offer ‘packages’ in which treatment is combined with hotel accommodation and flights but you do need to be clear about what this includes and doesn’t include.

Our section on fertility treatment abroad contains good advice about this subject.