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Money Box

Costs of assisted fertility

Money Box

BBC

Business

4.2825 Ratings

🗓️ 28 November 2018

⏱️ 30 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Infertility affects one in seven couples. Many people seek medical treatment to help them conceive. Some fertility treatment is available on the NHS, but the majority of couples go privately and pay for it themselves. It can be incredibly expensive, costing tens of thousands of pounds.

Money Box Live is looking at the costs involved in fertility treatments. If this has affected you or your loved ones, or you have a question you'd like answered, presenter Louise Cooper and an expert panel want to hear from you.

So why not call Money Box Live now 03 700 100 444, geographic charges from landlines and mobiles apply.

Or email moneybox@bbc.co.uk

or tweet @moneybox

Guests

Peter Thompson, Chief Executive of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the UK's independent regulator of fertility treatment.

Aileen Feeney from the the charity, Fertility Network UK

Dr Raj Mathur, Senior fertility Consultant, working in both the NHS and a private clinic.

Transcript

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check out BBC Sounds.

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0:48.2

Good afternoon. Infertility affects one in seven couples, and so many seek medical treatment to help them conceive. Some fertility treatment, available on the NHS, but the majority of couples end up paying for it themselves.

0:57.1

And it can be incredibly expensive, costing tens of thousands of pounds.

1:02.9

In total, the UK fertility industry is worth £320 million a year.

1:08.7

So today we are looking at the costs involved in fertility treatments.

1:12.6

And if this has affected you or your loved ones, we want to hear from you. So please call

1:17.6

Moneybox Live now on 0-3-700-100-44-geographic charges from landlines and mobiles apply, email moneybox at bbc.co.uk.

1:31.1

Well, let's hear first from 41-year-old Michelle, now a proud mum to her three-year-old daughter, Molly,

1:38.0

but it's been an emotional and expensive journey to get here.

1:42.0

I live in Berkshire and I was allowed one IVF attempt on the NHS before I was 35.

1:51.1

If I was in Hertfordshire, I could have had three attempts on the NHS up to the age of 40.

1:58.7

You had one lot on the NHS. How many IVF attempts did you have to pay for

2:02.7

then after that before you got your beautiful daughter, Molly? Five. And that cost? Around, we've spent

2:09.7

around 50,000. And how many years? Three. I did them back to back. I was constant and it was remorgaging. It was credit cards. It was

2:22.5

loans. It was not going on holidays. But that's all we were focused on was trying to have a baby.

...

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