NHS funding for IUI/IVF

[sensiblefootwear]

My wife and I (same sex couple) would like to start TTC next year. I have a phone call with my GP later this week in order to discuss this, just wondering how much support / funding I might be able to expect from the NHS?

I'm expecting little to no funding whatsoever, and we could probably just about manage to cover the cost ourselves if we spread it over time, but it would be nice to be pleasantly surprised! I'd be grateful to hear from anyone else who has conceived using IUI or IVF about how much financial support you got from your GP. Did they help with initial blood tests / scans etc?

@sensiblefootwear. No one will able to answer exactly as it varies so widely depending on area/CCG (I'm in Wales so could only say what applied for me). Some GP's may be willing to do the more basic/cheaper fertility related blood tests - FSH, LH, 21 day progesterone, STI checks etc, although you will most likely need to pay privately to have your AMH tested (about £50-90). And some GP's may be willing to refer you to your local hospital to have an internal scan or HSG, especially if you have problems with your periods/are not regularly ovulating or you have other possible symptoms of PCOS or Endometriosis.

As for IVF/IUI, some CCG's will pay for lesbian couples or single women (who have no children already and are non-smoking, and under the age and BMI limit) to have one or more rounds of IVF. But generally you have to prove you are infertile by doing 6 IUI's first (some area's apparently want 12!). Obviously heterosexual couples get to "prove" this by saying they have been trying naturally for one/two years, it's very unfair in that regard.

@sensiblefootwear My wife and I (also same sex couple) are currently going through IUI to conceive but we did start by contacting our GP. It does vary between different CCGs as already mentioned, and although the GP referred us initially to a private clinic and performed progesterone testing, these tests were then repeated by the clinic at cost so for you and your wife it might be different.

Our CCG does say we need 6 privately funded attempts at IUI through a private clinic before we are eligible for 3 NHS funded IVF cycles. This is where some CCGs differ as some will fund 1 or 2 only.

In terms of cost, this is also likely to vary between clinics but to give you an idea, we used Cryos for our sperm and including shipping we paid around £4500 for 3 vials (different donors and motility have different costs also so could be more or less). The clinic we are with charge £1409 for the first cycle to include storage of sperm and then £937 for consecutive cycles. Then also we had cost of trigger shots etc on top.

Hope this helps you! Good luck to you and your wife!

My wife (to-be) and I are on round three of Iui.
We get six funded cycles through the NHs in Scotland.
Our clinic are amazing and so supportive.
Wishing you the best of luck

We got absolutely nothing on the NHS. Had 7 unsuccessful IUI rounds altogether. 1 round was successful and we have our toddler from that. We've spent around £9k on 10 vials of sperm from America and £650k per IUI so about £5k then probs about another £1k on top of that for meds and investigations/ bloods

We are going to start IVF next year as the last 5 attempts at baby no 2 haven't worked. We aren't eligible for funding as we have our first child but even if we didn't in our area we need 10 cycles
Of IUI before getting IVF funding. We'll look into getting a loan to do some sort of multi cycle package