The CCGs that offer 3 free rounds of IVF (and their Fertility Fairness ratings)
Which NHS Clinical Commissioning Groups (CCGs) in England follow NICE guidelines and offer 3 full cycles of IVF for free? Charity Fertility Fairness breaks it down...
The IVF postcode lottery is something we’ve talked about (and been actively dismayed about) again and again.
It seems horribly unfair to us that where you live will dictate whether or not you’re entitled to free IVF treatment on the NHS.
To recap, the National Institute of Care and Excellence (NICE) recommends each woman aged 39 or under to be offered 3 full cycles, but often due to budgets and the decision of individual Clinical Commissioning Groups, these guidelines aren’t always adhered to.
(Some areas won’t offer you ANY. Don’t forget, each cycle costs the NHS £1000s.)
Thanks to fertility charity Fertility Fairness, you can now see whether or not your group funds the full 3 cycles – and if not, how many cycles you can get on the NHS and under what conditions.
They’ve also provided a ranking of each CCG, with 1 being the best mark possible.
You can download the whole table here, but we’ve taken down all the info for the places that offer the full 3 rounds…
NHS Bury CCG (Ranked: 1)
Offers 3 full cycles, of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women 23-42.
Must have been trying to conceive for 2 years (1 year if 36 or over). No living children from current relationship and at least one partner childless from previous
NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale CCG (Ranked: 1)
Offers 3 full cycles, of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women 23-42.
Must have been trying to conceive for 2 years (1 year if 36 or over). No living children from current relationship and at least one partner childless from previous
NHS Oldham CCG (Ranked: 1)
Offers 3 full cycles, of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women 23-42.
Must have been trying to conceive for 2 years (1 year if 36 or over). No living children from current relationship and at least one partner childless from previous.
NHS Tameside and Glossop CCG (Ranked: 1)
Offers 3 full cycles, of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women 23-42.
Must have been trying to conceive for 2 years (1 year if 36 or over). No living children from current relationship and at least one partner childless from previous.
NHS Bassetlaw CCG (Ranked: 2)
Offers 3 full cycles of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women aged 18-42. Must have no living children and tried to conceive for 2 years.
NHS Cumbria CCG (Ranked: 2)
Offers 3 full cycles of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women aged < [where < means less than] 40 – 42. Must have no living children and tried to conceive for 2 years.
NHS Darlington CCG (Ranked: 2)
Offers 3 full cycles of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women aged <40-42. Must have no living children and tried to conceive for 2 years.
NHS Durham Dales, Easington and Sedgefield CCG (Ranked: 2)
Offers 3 full cycles of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women aged <40-42. Must have no living children and tried to conceive for 2 years.
NHS Halton CCG (Ranked: 2)
Offers 3 full cycles of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women aged 23-39, 40-42. Must have been trying to conceive for 2 years (1 year if 36 and over) and have no living children.
NHS Hartlepool and Stockton-on-Tees CCG (Ranked: 2)
Offers 3 full cycles of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women aged <40-42. Must have no living children and tried to conceive for 2 years.
NHS Knowsley CCG (Ranked: 2)
Offers 3 full cycles of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women aged 23-39, 40-42. Must have been trying to conceive for 2 years (1 year if 36 and over) and have no living children.
NHS Newcastle Gateshead CCG (Ranked: 2)
Offers 3 full cycles of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women aged <40-42. Must have no living children and tried to conceive for 2 years.
NHS North Durham CCG (Ranked: 2)
Offers 3 full cycles of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women aged <40-42. Must have no living children and tried to conceive for 2 years.
NHS North Tyneside CCG (Ranked: 2)
Offers 3 full cycles of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women aged <40-42. Must have no living children and tried to conceive for 2 years.
NHS Northumberland CCG (Ranked: 2)
Offers 3 full cycles of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women aged <40-42. Must have no living children and tried to conceive for 2 years.
NHS South Sefton CCG (Ranked: 2)
Offers 3 full cycles of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women aged <40-42. Must have no living children and tried to conceive for 2 years.
NHS South Tees CCG (Ranked: 2)
Offers 3 full cycles of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women aged <40-42. Must have no living children and tried to conceive for 2 years.
NHS South Tyneside CCG (Ranked: 2)
Offers 3 full cycles of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women aged <40-42. Must have no living children and tried to conceive for 2 years.
NHS Southport and Formby CCG (Ranked: 2)
Offers 3 full cycles of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women aged 23-39, 40-42. Must have been trying to conceive for 2 years (1 year if 36 and over) and have no living children.
NHS Sunderland CCG (Ranked: 2)
Offers 3 full cycles of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women aged <40-42. Must have no living children and tried to conceive for 2 years.
NHS Thurrock CCG (Ranked: 2)
Offers 3 full cycles of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women aged <40-42. Must have tried to conceive for 2 years. It’s unknown if there are conditions about current children.
NHS Warrington CCG (Ranked: 2)
Offers 3 full cycles of one fresh transfer and all viable frozen transfers for women aged 23-40 (only 1 if you’re 41 or 42). Must have tried to conceive for 2 years and have no living children.
NHS Camden CCG (Ranked: 3)
Offers 3 full cycles of one fresh transfer and one frozen embryo transfer for women aged <40-42.
Must have been trying to conceive for 2 years (1 year if 36 and over) or know the cause of infertility. Must have no living children from current relationship and one partner childless from previous.
NHS Luton CCG (Ranked: 4)
Offers 3 full cycles, a maximum of 6 embryo transfers with a maximum of 3 fresh transfers for women aged 23-40, 42. Must have been trying to conceive for 3 years and have no living children.
What next?
Interestingly, a lot of the CCGs in the North East of England and Greater Manchester offer 3 full cycles. We see Camden and Luton there but London and the South of England isn’t well repped in this list at all.
It might make for depressing reading if your CCG isn’t on there, but they may still offer some free cycles – do keep yourself informed and check the full table.
You should also give our guide on what to do when you’re not entitled to any a read, and most importantly, don’t give up hope ???
Read more about IVF…
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