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IVF Cost
How much does IVF Treatment cost and is it Available to me?
IVF treatment can be a long, emotionally draining and unfortunately a quite expensive process. If after consulting with your doctor and fertility specialist it is agreed that IVF treatment is the best option for you, the next stage is to have an initial consultation with an IVF clinic. The initial consultation alone may cost you between £150-£300, however additional charges may be added should the fertility specialist recommend further tests or therapy treatments to further investigate the health of the patient. These can range from additional scans to hormone therapies and will of course vary from clinic to clinic and depend entirely on the fertility specialists' advice and expertise.
If it is felt that you are a suitable candidate for IVF then the process will continue with drug therapies, egg collection, fertilisation and transfer of the embryo back into the womb taking assuming that everything up to that point has been successful. There are also the costs of the equipment and surgery time which is most commonly referred to in terms of 'cycles'.The cost of one of these ‘cycles’ can be as high as £3500-£4000 how the cost of IVF treatment will vary from clinic to clinic and will be based on a number of different factors.
It is vitally important that you talk to your chosen clinic beforehand to understand firstly what the course of IVF treatment includes and a costed and personalised breakdown at the start of the process as well as regular intermittent cost updates along the course of the treatment.
What are the Additional costs related to IVF Treatment?
It is advised that before going ahead with a clinic to agree a fully costed treatment plan before agreeing to go ahead as unfortunately there are some costs that may cause your bill at certain clinics to mount. This is to help you understand firstly exactly what the course of treatments include as well as a full breakdown of the costs incurred. Hopefully this will help patients to understand the cost of the treatment clearly as well as allowing them to budget accordingly for any future costs.
As the cost of IVF treatment varies from clinic to clinic many will be as up front as possible about these costs to give their patients peace of mind and to remain competitive with other clinics. There are however potentially certain unforeseen events that may require extra payment, such as a change in the type of treatment used midway through the treatment. There is also the fee that you must pay to the HFEA (Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority) for overseeing the IVF process. This is why it is advised that patients request regular updates to their costed treatment plan to make sure these costs are managed and are adequately budgeted for.
Can I get IVF through the NHS?
In certain circumstances it is possible to receive IVF treatment through the NHS, but this is purely at the discretion of the individual primary care trusts around the UK. If the prospective IVF patients do manage to qualify for treatment from the NHS they can potentially save thousands avoiding the cost of IVF cycles privately.
The guidelines set by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence advise trusts should enable patients to receive up to 3 cycles of IVF treatment if:
- The prospective patient has been infertile for 3 years.
- One or both of the couple has been diagnosed with a fertility issue.
- The woman is aged between 23 and 39.
or
and
However, the primary care trusts have complete authority and the guidelines will change depending on where you are based in the country. Some of the Primary Care Trusts have also put in place their own additional criteria that will need to be met before IVF treatment is provided on the NHS. The Department of Health conducted a review of PCT's in 2009 and found that these criteria included such things as:
- The woman stopping smoking before undergoing IVF treatment.
- The woman's age varying from the range given by NICE (23-39).
- The man being within a specific age bracket.
- Criteria based around children such as the couple having no children under a specific age living with them at the present time or even having no living children from the current or previous relationship.
The waiting lists for IVF treatment provided on the NHS in some of the primary care trusts in the UK can be extremely long and even if you are eligible to recieve NHS treatment then you will still be charged for the prescription charges for fertility medicines unless you are exempt.
For a full explanation of the criteria required to receive IVF treatment through the NHS you can visit the IVF section of the NHS website where they thoroughly explain each aspect of qualifying for subsidised treatment.
How Successful is IVF Treatment?
This can depend on a number of different factors including the fertility problem you are experiencing particularly and most importantly the patients age. However generally in the UK the rate of success for IVF treatment is around 20% which represents the chance of successfully having a child as a result of each cycle of the treatment. In order to improve your chances before undergoing any form of fertility treatment you should take notice of the following areas where changes can be made to a patients lifestyle to actively improve the chances of success.
- The chance of women under 30 experiencing success following IVF treatment is 1 in 4 compared to women over the age of 30 will have a 1 in 10 chance of success.
- Women who maintain a healthy weight throughout the procedure, having a body mass index (BMI) of between 19 and 30 will also have a higher chance of success as a result.
- Your chances of success are also greater if you have been pregnant before.
There are a wide number of private IVF clinics located across the UK offering a range of differing prices for IVF treatment depending on a variety of factors. Comparison services such as Clinic Compare can quickly and efficiently provide a range of quoted prices for IVF treatment from clinics across the UK.