Analysis of fertility treatment services in Europe carried out by Dr Francoise Shenfield of University College Hospital and Medical School in London shows that British patients get the worst deal in Europe. The survey of five European countries showed that those on the National Health Service wait longer for treatment with an ever decreasing chance of pregnancy.
Seventy-five percent of British couples experiencing infertility have to pay for most of their treatment. Those who do get public funding have to wait on average up to 18 months. This results in their having a greater number of cycles of IVF because the older the female patient, the harder it is to achieve a successful pregnancy. The average for the UK is 400 IVF cycles per million of the population compared with less than 200 cycles per million of the Belgian population.
The survey showed that women in France receive the best deal as the state pays for a couple to have up to four cycles with 30 percent paid for by the government and the rest by insurance companies. Germany came second with the same funding deal as France and Belgium came third, with three-quarters of the cost of treatment paid for by the state.
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