Experts say 4,444 infertility patients have been forced to have their embryos destroyed because they cannot afford to have them transferred or stored amid the cost of living crisis.

Dr. Catherine Hill, head of policy and communications at Fertility Network UK, spoke of the "devastating situation for fertility patients" who struggle to access support on the NHS and are forced to turn to the costly private sector. Ta. She said rising inflation was making it extremely difficult for couples to "accumulate mountains of debt".

Mr. Hill said she reports that patients have reached a point where they can no longer afford to continue paying for treatment. ``They don't get any help from the government and the clinics won't help them.''

The British Fertility Authority is concerned about these reports and is asking all private clinics to pay for treatment. I called for recognition.

Claire Ettinghausen, director of strategy and corporate affairs at the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HFEA), said regulators were concerned that each patient's treatment options would be limited by the cost of embryo storage and transfer. He said he is doing so.

She said: Clinics must provide patients with clear information about the costs of treatment, including future costs such as storage and embryo transfer, before starting treatment. ”

A survey of around 200 patients conducted by Fertility Network UK found that 95% had financial concerns related to fertility treatment or infertility treatment. had. For 92%, these problems are or have been exacerbated by the cost of living crisis.

Half of respondents said a combination of the cost of living crisis, lack of support from the NHS and the high cost of private healthcare prevented them from proceeding with fertility treatment. Almost a quarter have postponed or canceled treatment.

One patient, who wished to remain anonymous, told the charity: ``I have one frozen embryo left that I have kept for two years.'' They said, ``We can't afford to transfer this embryo right now. Next month the freeze for the year expires, so we have to come up with the money to freeze it for another year.

The Fertility Network UK is calling on the government to abolish the so-called 'IVF postcode lottery', where certain NHS areas offer more cycles than others. There is.

Hill said: “We are also calling on fertility clinics to provide greater support to patients during this time and to prevent price increases planned for the end of the year or the beginning of the new year.”

"Patients are facing embryo destruction because they can't afford the transfer and storage costs," Hill said, adding that clinics should suspend payments in these cases.

Another patient, who wished to remain anonymous, told the charity: "My mortgage is coming due and I have no way of knowing if I will be able to afford to pay the mortgage, let alone pay the transfer." . This is completely out of control and the fertility industry needs to do something to help keep treatments affordable in cases like this.