Guidance

NHS-funded in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in England

Updated 1 February 2024

Applies to England

Introduction

Funding decisions for health services in England are made by integrated care boards (ICBs) and are based on the clinical needs of their local population. We expect these organisations to commission fertility services in line with National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines for assessment and treatment of fertility problems, ensuring equal access to fertility treatment across England.

As part of the Women’s Health Strategy for England, we committed to greater transparency of the provision of IVF services across the country.

The table below shows the data taken from published ICB commissioning policies and indicates how many IVF cycles are funded by the NHS in each area of England.

Not all access criteria has been included, so you should refer to the individual ICB policy for the most accurate information. Most ICBs require referrals to fertility treatment to have followed 2 years of regular unprotected intercourse (in the absence of any known cause of infertility) for heterosexual couples, or following 6 rounds of artificial insemination for female same-sex couples, as well as a body mass index (BMI) of between 19 and 30 and for both partners to be non-smokers.

Not all ICB policies have been published, so where applicable, we have used previous clinical commissioning group (CCG) policies, if available. Where an ICB policy is not available and is currently being reviewed, this is indicated in column 2.

If the information for your area is missing, please contact your ICB for the latest commissioning information.

Visit the NHS website to find your local ICB

You can find information about IVF and fertility on the NHS website:

• NHS information about infertility
• NHS information about IVF

Find information about IVF and clinics from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, the UK government fertility regulator.

Fertility Network UK provides information and support for anyone affected by fertility issues

Updates

If you’re an ICB and have published or updated your policy, please contact us.

Let us know your policy has been updated

ICB commissioning policies for NHS-funded IVF in England

This table shows the data taken from published ICB commissioning policies and indicates how many IVF cycles are funded by the NHS in each area of England (note 1).

The following ICB policies are not available:

• Cheshire and Merseyside
• Frimley
• Greater Manchester
• Humber and North Yorkshire
• Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland

ICB	Number of IVF cycles funded (note 2)	Are they full cycles? (note 3)	Age (note 4)	Parental status (note 5)	Other details (note 6)	Access requirement for female same-sex couples (note 7)	Is cryopreservation funded? (note 8)	Link to commissioning policy (note 9)
Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire	1	No	25 to 40	At least one person should have no children from current or previous relationships	No more than 2 previous NHS or self-funded IVF cycles	6 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 2 years	Bath and North East Somerset, Swindon and Wiltshire ICB documents: assisted conception
Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes	1	No	23 to 42	No children from current or previous relationships	No previous NHS-funded IVF cycles	6 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	No	Bedfordshire, Luton and Milton Keynes ICB commissioning policies
Birmingham and Solihull	1	No	20 to 40	No children from current or previous relationships	No previous NHS or self-funded IVF cycles	6 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 1 year	NHS Birmingham and Solihull ICB commissioning policies: reproduction
Black Country	1	No	Up to 40	No children from current or previous relationships	No previous NHS-funded or self-funded IVF or ICSI cycles	6 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 1 year	Black Country ICB commissioning policies
Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire	1	No	Up to 40	At least one person should have no children from current or previous relationships	No previous NHS-funded IVF cycles	10 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 1 year	Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire ICB infertility assessment and treatment policy
Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West	1	No	Up to 35	No children from current or previous relationships	No previous NHS-funded IVF cycles	12 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination, with 6 being intrauterine insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 3 years	Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire West commissioning policies
Cambridgeshire and Peterborough	1	No	23 to 42	No children from current or previous relationships	Unexplained infertility for 3 years; no more than 2 previous NHS or self-funded IVF cycles	12 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	No	Cambridgeshire and Peterborough ICB commissioning policies
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly	1	No	Up to 40	At least one person should have no children from current or previous relationships	No previous NHS-funded IVF and no more than 2 previous self-funded IVF cycles	12 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 1 year	Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly ICB commissioning policy
Cheshire and Merseyside	Policy under review
Coventry and Warwickshire	1	No	Up to 40	No children from current or previous relationships	No previous NHS-funded IVF cycles	6 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 1 year	Coventry and Warwickshire ICB commissioning policy
Derby and Derbyshire	1	Yes	Up to 42	No children from current or previous relationships	No more than 2 previous self-funded IVF cycles	6 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 3 years	Derby and Derbyshire ICB policies
Devon	1	No	Up to 40	At least one person should have no children from current or previous relationships	No previous NHS-funded IVF and no more than 2 previous self-funded IVF cycles	6 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 1 year	Devon ICB policies: assisted conception
Dorset	1	No	Up to 42	At least one person should have no children from current or previous relationships	No more than 1 previous NHS-funded IVF cycle	6 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 1 year	Dorset ICB clinical policies
Frimley	Policy under review
Gloucestershire	2	No	Up to 40	No children from current or previous relationships	No more than 1 previous NHS or self-funded IVF cycle	12 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 1 year	Gloucestershire ICB clinical commissioning policies
Greater Manchester	Policy under review
Hampshire and Isle of Wight	1	No	Up to 35	No children from current or previous relationships	No previous NHS-funded IVF cycles or ICSI	12 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 3 years	Hampshire and Isle of Wight ICB policies
Herefordshire and Worcestershire	1	No	18 to 39	No children from current or previous relationships	No previous NHS-funded or self-funded IVF or ICSI cycles	12 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	No	Herefordshire and Worcestershire policies
Hertfordshire and West Essex	1	No	23 to 42	No children from current or previous relationships	Unexplained infertility for 3 years; no previous NHS or self-funded IVF cycles	6 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 1 year	Hertfordshire and West Essex ICB IVF and specialist fertility treatment policy
Humber and North Yorkshire	Policy under review
Kent and Medway	2	No	Up to 40	No children from current or previous relationships	No more than 3 previous NHS or self-funded IVF cycles	6 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 10 years	Kent and Medway policies on fertility treatments
Lancashire and South Cumbria	1	Yes	18 to 42	No children from current or previous relationships	No previous IVF cycles with current partner	12 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 2 years	Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB policies
Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland	Policy under review
Lincolnshire	1	Yes	Up to 40	No children from current or previous relationships	1 full cycle available to age 40 to 42 only if no previous NHS-funded IVF cycles and there is no evidence of low ovarian reserve	Unknown (individual CCG policies apply)	Yes, for a maximum of 3 years	Lincolnshire ICB policies
Mid and South Essex	2	No	23 to 39	No children from current or previous relationships	1 cycle available to age 40 to 42; any previous IVF cycles count towards number offered	6 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 3 years	Mid and South Essex tertiary fertility services
Norfolk and Waveney	2	No	23 to 39	No children from current or previous relationships	1 cycle available to age 40 to 42; unexplained infertility for 3 years; any previous IVF cycles count towards number offered	6 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 1 year	Norfolk and Waveney ICB policies
North Central London	3	No	Up to 40	At least one person should have no children from current or previous relationships	1 cycle available to age 40 to 42; no more than 3 previous fresh NHS or self-funded IVF cycles	6 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 2 years	North Central London ICB fertility services
Northamptonshire	1	Yes	Up to 42	No children from current or previous relationships	No more than 2 previous NHS or self-funded IVF cycles	Evidence of subfertility as per local CCG policy	Yes, for a maximum of 3 years	Northamptonshire ICB prior approval policy for assisted conception
North East and North Cumbria	3	Yes	Up to 40	No children from current or previous relationships	1 cycle available to age 40 to 42; any previous IVF cycles count towards number offered	6 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, up to when the woman reaches the maximum age for treatment on NHS	North East and North Cumbria ICB - value based commissioning policy
North East London	3	Yes	Up to 40	At least one person should have no children from current or previous relationships	1 cycle available to age 40 to 42; any previous IVF cycles count towards number offered	6 cycles (3 cycles for women aged over 36) of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 2 years	North East London ICB fertility services
North West London	1	No	Up to 40	No children from current or previous relationships	No previous NHS IVF cycles or no more than 2 previous self-funded IVF cycles	12 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 1 year	North West London ICB fertility policy
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire	1	Yes	Up to 42	No children from current or previous relationships	No more than 2 previous self-funded IVF cycles	Evidence of sub-fertility as per local CCG policy	Yes, for a maximum of 3 years	Nottingham and Nottinghamshire ICB fertility policy
Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin	1	Yes	18 to 40	No children from current or previous relationships	No previous NHS or self-funded IVF cycles	6 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 1 year	Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin ICB policies
Somerset	1	No	23-40	No children from current or previous relationships	No previous NHS-funded IVF cycles in current relationship	9 cycles of NHS-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 1 year	Somerset ICB policies
South East London	1	No	23 to 39	No children from current or previous relationships	No previous NHS-funded IVF cycles and no more than 2 self-funded IUI, ICSI or IVF cycles	3 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 2 years	South East London: treatment access policy
South West London	1	No	18 to 42	At least one person should have no children from current or previous relationships	No previous NHS-funded IVF cycles	12 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 1 year	South West London ICB evidence-based interventions policy
South Yorkshire	2	Yes	18 to 42	No children from current or previous relationships	Any previous IVF cycles count towards number offered	6 cycles of NHS-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 3 years	South Yorkshire ICB commissioning policies
Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent	1	No	23 to 39	No children from current or previous relationships	This is a draft policy and is not finalised yet. No more than 2 previous self-funded IVF cycles and no previous NHS-funded IVF cycles	6 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 1 year	Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent ICB draft assisted conception policy
Suffolk and North East Essex	2	No	23 to 39	No children from current or previous relationships	1 cycle available to age 40 to 42; unexplained infertility for 3 years; no more than 2 previous NHS or self-funded IVF cycles	12 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	No	Suffolk and North East Essex ICB: clinical priorities policy
Surrey Heartlands	2	No	Up to 40	No children from current or previous relationships	No previous NHS-funded IVF cycles	6 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 2 years	Surrey Heartlands ICB policies
Sussex	3	Yes	Up to 40	At least one person should have no children from current or previous relationships	1 cycle available to age 40 to 42; any previous IVF cycles count towards number offered	6 cycles of self-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 5 years	Sussex ICB policies
West Yorkshire	1	Yes	18 to 42	No children from current or previous relationships	Any previous IVF cycles count towards number offered	6 cycles of NHS-funded artificial insemination	Yes, for a maximum of 3 years	West Yorkshire ICB commissioning policies

Table notes

Note 1. The information shown in this table has been selected to show the elements of IVF treatment and access criteria that are most often reported as having variation across England. Some details, such as full cycles, are recommended by NICE fertility guidelines. Other criteria, such as parental status, is an additional access criteria that is applied by individual ICBs. We have chosen not to include some criteria, such as BMI, as this has been consistent across all ICB policies. We recommend that you refer to your ICB’s full commissioning policy for the most up to date and complete information on access criteria.

Note 2. This number indicates how many rounds of IVF are paid for by the NHS.

Note 3. A ‘full cycle’ is a term used by NICE to define a full cycle of IVF treatment, which should include one episode of ovarian stimulation and the transfer of any resultant fresh and frozen embryos. A full cycle ends when either every available viable embryo has been transferred or one results in a pregnancy. If a full cycle is not offered, any additional viable embryos from the retrieval stage can still be frozen and used in further treatment. Some commissioning policies may include additional frozen embryo transfers in a cycle, but with a maximum limit (for example, they refer to a ‘full cycle’ as one fresh transfer and up to 2 frozen transfers). You should refer to your ICB’s full commissioning policy document for further information on what they define as a cycle of IVF.

Note 4. This refers to the age of the person trying to conceive and the age shown is the criteria for the maximum number of cycles. Some commissioning policies offer one cycle for people aged between 40 and 42 (if they do not offer the maximum number of cycles available to people in this age group). You should refer to the ICB’s full commissioning policy document for further information.

Note 5. Some ICBs will not fund IVF if either partner has any living children from the current or any previous relationships, regardless of their age or whether the child resides with them. This may also include any adopted children within current or previous relationships.

Note 6. We have chosen not to include all access criteria in this document, so you should still refer to your ICB’s full commissioning policy for the most up to date and complete information. Most ICBs require referrals to fertility treatment to have followed 2 years of regular unprotected intercourse (in the absence of any known cause of infertility) for heterosexual couples, or following 6 rounds of artificial insemination for female same-sex couples, as well as a BMI of between 19 and 30 and for both partners to be non-smokers.

Note 7. Female same-sex couples, who are using artificial insemination to conceive, have been expected to undergo at least 6 rounds of self-funded intrauterine insemination (IUI) before accessing the NHS treatment pathway (that includes further rounds of IUI). Some ICBs may expect you to self-fund up to 12 rounds of artificial insemination. The text here indicates the criteria for accessing the ICB’s NHS-funded fertility treatment pathway.

Note 8. This refers to the frozen storage of any viable embryos remaining after the fresh embryo transfer. This does not refer to the storage of gametes for other reasons. However, this may be funded and you should refer to the ICB’s full commissioning policy for more details. You will still be able to store embryos beyond the funded limit, but you would be required to pay for the storage yourself.

Note 9. Some of the links provided do not link directly to the policy document and require finding the document within a list of documents by clicking through drop-down lists or several pages. Usually the policy document titles include ‘assisted conception’, ‘fertility services’, ‘IVF’ or ‘infertility’. Sometimes they may be included as part of big documents that cover all clinical commissioning policies, and titles may include ‘treatment access policy’, ‘clinical policies’ or similar.