Funding your fertility treatment

We are often asked whether there are any organisations that offer help with the financial cost of fertility treatment, or whether Fertility Network UK is able to offer financial support to those who are going to have to pay for their own treatment. We’d love to be able to help people who are affected by the postcode lottery or who don’t qualify for NHS funding, but as a charity we receive no guaranteed funding and we are not in a position to be able to offer financial support to people who are having fertility treatment.

However, there are some things to consider when you are going to have to pay for fertility treatment. The cost of treatment can vary considerably from one clinic to another, and the headline figures quoted on clinic websites may not be what you’d end up paying for a cycle of IVF as drugs and tests, appointments and any additional treatments may not be included.

A fertility clinic should give you an individualised costed treatment plan before you begin assisted conception, and it is always a good idea to compare prices when you are deciding which clinic you are going to choose. Sometimes treatment can be cheaper if you opt to be a self-funding patient at an NHS clinic, and this is something which is worth investigating.

The drugs used in fertility treatment can be very expensive, adding a considerable sum to the total cost of treatment. Here again, it is worth shopping around to get the best price. Some supermarket pharmacies can offer lower prices and it is a good idea to check out a few different suppliers before ordering your drugs. Most fertility clinics will let you choose where to purchase the drugs used in your treatment.

It is always worth spending a little time investigating costs before starting treatment so that you have a realistic idea of how much you need to budget for.