To think that if you’re prepared to travel to an IVF clinic outside the UK in a country where fertility treatment is not as tightly regulated as here then you need to accept the risks?

No i think we should strive to standardise medical care globally.

This was Northern Cyprus which isn't a member of the EU .. it's an unrecognized self declared state

Cyprus is a member of the eu not a third world country so I fully understand why they did it.

Cyprus is, but EU law has been suspended in North Cyprus for 40 odd years as it is controlled by the Turkish. That’s why people go there for their cheap eggs/sperm/surrogacy. It’s not for me but I can see why people do it.

Medical mistakes happen everywhere. I had IVF at a fancy place on Harley St and they definitely made mistakes. The ones I know of include scanning me with someone else’s patient records up on the screen (didn’t check my DOB); didn’t have the right drugs to give me during a procedure as their drugs list wasn’t up to date and trying to bill me for other people’s treatment.

So what you’re saying is - if you are poorer, you have to take more risks than someone who is richer to pursue a particular goal?

I don’t think that’s news for anyone. Not having as much money sucks. And the things you have to put up with because of it suck too.

As someone who unsuccessfully went through IVF, the NHS will only fund a certain number of attempts, in certain situations. After you pay yourself it's not cheap. Cyprus is a member of the eu not a third world country so I fully understand why they did it.

Unless you have found yourself childless and out of options in the UK I think you really shouldn't pass comment.

For the record we decided to discontinue treatment with one NHS cycle left.

Not surprised at all.

When money and high emotions are involved people turn into Piranhas.

You don’t have to do much googling to find examples of IVF mix ups in the UK. Here’s one.
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/jun/14/ivf-clinic-embryo-couple-loss

Your post feels ungenerous, the decision will presumably have been made due to lower cost. Private IVF isn’t affordable for everyone, and as they’re a same-sex couple, they wouldn’t have had the option for IVF on the NHS until very recently.

Regulation is expensive, which can make treatment more expensive in countries like the UK. Sarris from the British Fertility Society says that is one reason why he suspects Northern Cyprus has become such a popular destination for fertility treatment

I assume people know that's the reason northern Cyprus is cheap. I am not victim blaming by any means but it's a risk you take when you have a medical procedure in a place that is without regulation.

HFEA: 581 incidents and near misses reported in 2023-4 (admittedly a tiny percentage of cases - but not considered news).

I think you'll find fertility clinics everywhere sometimes make such mistakes. And medicine more generally.

The NHS has something around 30,000 cases of harm each year from poor communication and record keeping...