All patients who wish to access NHS-funded IVF treatment must be referred to us by their GP or secondary (hospital) care provider.

Definition of infertility

• Infertility with an appropriate cause, of any duration – all couples
• Unexplained infertility of two years – heterosexual couples
• Unexplained infertility following six to eight cycles of NHS-funded donor insemination – same sex couples

All couples referred for NHS IVF (including NHS Surrogacy IVF) must be ready for treatment before being added to the waiting list.

Access criteria recommendations for all couples, including couples having surrogacy IVF

• Both partners must be non-smoking and nicotine free for at least three months before referral for treatment, and continue to be non-smoking and nicotine free during treatment.
• Both partners must abstain from illegal and abusive substances.
• Both partners must be Methadone free for at least one year prior to referral to treatment.
• Neither partner should drink alcohol prior to or during the period of treatment.
• The Body Mass Index (BMI) of female partner must be above 18.5 and below 30.
• Neither partner to have undergone voluntary sterilisation or who have undertaken reversal of sterilisation, even if sterilisation reversal has been self-funded.
• Couples can access treatment if one partner has no living biological child.
• NHS funding will not be provided to couples where either partner has already received the number of NHS funded IVF treatment cycles supported by NHS Scotland regardless of where in the UK they received treatment.
• No individual (male or female) can access more than the number of NHS-funded IVF treatment cycles supported by NHS Scotland under any circumstances, even if they are in a new relationship.
• Couples must have been co-habiting in a stable relationship for a minimum of two years at the same address.
• NHS treatment may be given to those patients who have previously paid for IVF treatment, if in the treating clinician’s view, the individual clinical circumstances warrant further treatment.

Number of cycles of IVF treatment offered to couples if female receiving treatment is up to the age of 40

• Eligible patients may be offered up to three cycles of IVF/ICSI where there is a reasonable expectation of a live birth – for new referrals only from Primary and Secondary Care from 1 April 2017. Patients referred prior to 1 April 2017 may be offered up to two cycles of IVF/ICSI.
• Fresh cycles of treatment must be started by the date of the female partner’s 40th birthday and all subsequent frozen embryo transfers must be completed before the woman’s 41st birthday. If the female partner turns 40 during her first fresh cycle of treatment, no further fresh cycles will be offered. Each individual treatment cycle, including all frozen transfers, must be completed within 12 months of starting treatment, or (as set out above) before the date of the female partner’s 41st birthday if this is reached first.

Number of cycles for couples if female receiving treatment is aged 40 to 42 years old

In very specific circumstances, for couples where the woman is aged from the day after her 40th birthday, who meet all other criteria, one cycle of treatment may be funded. Couples must have been screened for treatment by the time of the female partner’s 42nd birthday at the latest, and all treatment including any subsequent frozen embryo transfers must be completed by the time the female partner reaches 42 + 364 days.

All of the following additional criteria must also be met:

• They have never previously had IVF treatment (NHS or private)
• There is no evidence of poor ovarian reserve and if, in the treating clinician’s view, it is in the patient’s interest
• There has been a robust discussion of the additional implications of IVF and pregnancy at this age

NHS surrogacy IVF

NHS IVF with surrogacy may be considered only where a fertility clinician has deemed that there is a clinical indication for this treatment, and where no other treatment options are available.

NHS Scotland will not be involved in any of the process of identifying a surrogate or any financial or legal arrangements made between the surrogate and the genetic/commissioning couple.

Surrogacy is legal in the UK provided that the surrogate receives no payment beyond her reasonable expenses. Couples wanting to have a child in this way are referred to in the law as Intended Parents.

Surrogates should meet all of the access criteria applied to NHS IVF, with one exception – they may already have a child.

The Intended Parents must meet all of the above NHS IVF access criteria without exception.

Couples can only be placed on the NHS waiting list once a surrogate has been identified.

Self-Funded