One thing we’re expecting to see again this year at Manchester Fertility – in addition to lots of new babies joining our family! – is more patients once again travelling to us from the Yorkshire region.
Last year in 2012 we welcomed an average 10 patients a month from this area. Couples, single people and those in same-sex relationships were travelling from Sheffield, Halifax – including the Calder Valley region - Huddersfield, Wakefield, Doncaster and Ripon, with the highest numbers coming from Bradford and Leeds.
Of course travelling from these areas to us here in Manchester is a considerable undertaking when you take into account the need for multiple trips for appointments during a single typical IVF cycle. 2012 was the first year we really saw a trend of patients coming to us from the Yorkshire area, although we do see people from even further afield, even as far away as the Isle of Man and Cumbria.
Will we see such a wide geographical influx this year? The demand for private IVF and infertility treatment is as high as ever because of NHS funding cuts for IVF, which is in full swing across many regions in the UK including Yorkshire. Even if your PCT does fund IVF, many impose such strict criteria that you don’t qualify anyway, for instance some won’t fund a cycle of IVF if you or your partner already have children, even if it’s from a previous relationship. This is forcing many people to turn elsewhere to get the help they need, and they’re willing to travel any distance to attend the best clinic for their needs.
One option if you are affected by IVF NHS funding cuts and can’t get infertility treatment where you live is to consider our egg-sharing scheme. If you’re 35 or under, in good health with no hereditary or genetic conditions and are willing to share half of your eggs not being used for your own treatment, you could receive a cycle of private IVF treatment with us for £870, inclusive of any screening tests and drugs needed.
If you do receive NHS IVF but don’t want to attend the unit your health trust wants to refer you to, you can request your cycle to be transferred to a private IVF clinic of your own choosing like Manchester Fertility. We are certainly seeing more patients who have taken this route and successfully applied for treatment transfer to us. Although this may seem a daunting process, we’ve produced this helpful guide to advise you how to do it here.
Last updated: 20th January 2020
