‘NHS IVF delayed during pandemic’

NHS patients were far more likely to suffer IVF delays during the pandemic than those paying privately, according to a new report from the regulator.

NHS fertility services were slower to reopen as the entire health service came under strain due to Covid-19, and NHS-funded treatment has lagged way behind those cycles funded privately.

The study, from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), noted that fertility treatments were suspended across the UK on April 15, 2020, after lockdown began. However, the data shows that NHS-funded IVF treatment decreased 7% from 35% in 2019 to 28% in 2020.