The cost of fertility treatment varies drastically across England with some people paying almost 30% more for IVF depending on where they live. New figures show a clear “postcode lottery” , with huge variances between different cities.
London comes out as the most expensive with an average total cost of £6,150. But, for the same treatment in Manchester, it is £4,764, according to data given to the Observer by Fertility Mapper, a website collating costs and giving personal reviews and experiences of the UK’s private clinics.
The number of people who have the treatment is rising, with 10% more IVF and donor insemination cycles in 2021 compared to 2019.
At the same time, there has been a fall of 16% in the number of cycles funded by the NHS, according to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), the UK regulator.
While the NHS does offer some treatment, this, again, varies across the country with the number of cycles largely depending on where you live.
However, about 60% of treatment each year is privately funded, according to the HFEA.
Fertility Mapper reveals that the average advertised cost across six English cities varies considerably. Brighton is the most expensive at £4,590, followed by London at £3,910, Bristol at £3,795, Birmingham at £3,710, Manchester at £3,650 and then Leeds at £3,475.
These advertised costs do not include the additional costs, such as blood tests, screenings and the storage of surplus embryos.
When these are included, London becomes the most expensive at an average £6,150. Brighton and Birmingham follow at £5,310, Bristol at £4,917, Leeds at £4,820, with Manchester at £4,764.
This means someone having IVF in London could be paying 29% more than a person in Manchester, or 28% more than someone in Leeds.
Paying for the treatment is just one of the many challenges that people hoping to conceive face when dealing with what is a lengthy process. The high costs in the UK have led to a growing number of Britons travelling abroad, where prices can be considerably less.
But even within UK cities, there are huge discrepancies. In London, where the biggest difference was found, prices ranged from £3,745 to £13,408 across 35 private clinics. While in Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, and Manchester the minimum was £3,735 and the maximum £6,932.50.
There are similar price differences between egg-freezing packages, which typically include treatment, and storage for a minimum of one year.
The most expensive was Leeds, at an average £4,865, followed by Birmingham at £4,850, London at £4,390, Manchester at £4,366.50, Bristol at £4,134.50, and £3,960 in Brighton.
This again highlights the sharp differences across the country, which do not always include London as being the most expensive.
Private fertility clinics are not regulated when it comes to the amount they can charge so can set their own prices. They are allowed to include, or exclude, different elements, which can make it difficult for consumers to compare like-for-like costs.
The HFEA says it is concerned patients have inconsistent access to private treatment across the country.
“Fertility clinics are free to set their own costs just like any other private healthcare provider,” it says. “Unfortunately, this means that the same treatment could be two or even three times more expensive depending on which clinic patients choose.
“We strongly recommend that patients shop around and consider a wide range of factors when making a final decision.”
For those who want to compare and contrast, the HFEA has its own database of UK clinics.
However, it’s not usually practical for someone to choose a clinic in a different part of the country.
Kayleigh Hartigan, founder and chief executive of Fertility Mapper, says: “Patients suddenly become consumers when they start IVF and it can be very difficult for people who aren’t medically trained to know what they’re buying.
“Those who go through IVF become experts themselves and we believe their reviews, combined with clinic costs, are one way to drive transparency in this market so people are better informed to take control of their fertility journey.”
‘It can be a great success, or it can be heartbreak and an empty wallet’
It was with relief, joy and gratitude that Monique Kelly-Kamperdijk, 40, gave birth to her daughter Sophie-Alexandra in 2017 after three failed rounds of IVF.
The cost of private treatment came to about £16,000 which, after her elation at having a child, has frustrated the London-based lawyer. “We are very lucky and grateful for our daughter, it’s the best money we’ve ever spent yet, looking back, I was a little bit gullible,” she says.
Along with her husband, Alan, Monique had been trying for a baby since 2013. After tests showed they were unlikely to conceive naturally, they began IVF treatment with the NHS.
At the time, they qualified for three free rounds, each with a waiting list of about nine months. But as they did not want to wait, they also approached a private London clinic and began a course, eventually doing two private rounds and one on the NHS.
A fourth round, done privately, was successful.
Monique says that without a medical background, it was hard to know which add-ons were actually necessary, and which would work. “At the time, I just wanted to have a baby. I would have paid to increase the chances, but there are some things that I now look back on and wonder if they actually made a material difference,” she says.
Although she says she understands private clinics are operating as businesses to make money, she believes patients should be told from the start about the add-ons and any unproven treatments they may then pay for, as these costs can quickly spiral.
“With IVF, it can be a great success, or it can be heartbreak and an empty wallet. People are so desperate they will pay through the nose. At one point it felt like it was very much about the money. That said, we are very blessed with the outcome,” says Monique.
“Not all clinics are there to take advantage of patients, but I do think they could be more transparent around costs and more sensitive as it became a bit of a conveyor belt exercise at one point.”
