26th November 2002
IVF TREATMENT FEE TO INCREASE
Women who opt for private IVF treatment will find themselves paying out more next year.
The increase comes after the government announced yesterday that clinics' regulation charges will double from April 2003. The move will boost the budget of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) - the government's regulatory body - as a percentage of each treatment received by a patient at clinics throughout the UK is paid directly to the HFEA.
Currently about 24,000 women a year pay from £1,800 to £2,500 for a single cycle of IVF treatment, and between £400 and £600 for donor insemination. A total of £40 currently goes to the HFEA for IVF treatment and £20 for donor insemination, but in April 2003 the figures will rise to £100 and £50 respectively.
As many women need more than just one cycle of IVF to become pregnant, they could be paying several hundred pounds extra, on top of the clinic's charges.
Suzi Leather, chair of the HFEA, feels the fees are justified. "Throughout the last decade, services have expanded enormously and expectations of regulation have increased. The increased funding will allow the HFEA to make significant improvements in the way that it operates. It will enable us to introduce an even more robust regulatory system and to be more open about the work that we do," she said.
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