NICE guidelines and fertility treatment costs

NICE guidelines state that patients will be offered up to 3 cycles of IVF or ICSI on the NHS if they fulfil the following criteria:

• You are a woman aged between 23 and 39 years of age at the time of treatment.
• One or both of you have had fertility problems for 3 years or more.
• One or both of you has a diagnosed infertility problem such as a blocked fallopian tube or an absence of sperm.

And your PCT may have additional criteria to these such as not providing funding if you already have a child.

Every PCT will have a waiting list for NHS funded IVF and these will vary across regions. If you are trying to apply for funding then you may find that your local PCT will make a decision based upon the following:

• If you have had fertility treatment before and if so, how may cycles.
• If you already have children.
• Body mass index: many of these trusts will base their decision on the patient’s BMI which is used as an indicator of their weight and risk of obesity.

Note: priority is given to those couples who don’t have any children.

The cost of infertility tests and treatment Guide Index:

• The cost of infertility tests and treatment - Intro
• Going privately for Infertility treatment
• NHS funded infertility treatment
• NICE guidelines and fertility treatment costs

• Fertility funding and your Primary Care Trust (PCT)
• How do I apply for Infertility treatment funding?
• Cost of private Infertility treatment