Thousands of British women hoping to be mums are abandoning the UK and heading to Eastern Europe for IVF. Fertility treatment in clinics in the Czech Republic, Romania, the Ukraine and Russia is a quarter of the cost of private treatment in the UK. Clinics in the Czech Republic charge just over £2,000 for full IVF treatment, while UK clinics ask for between £4,000 and £8,000 for each cycle.
Mums-to-be choosing to head abroad have been warned, however, that foreign clinics ignore UK safety guidelines, often implanting multiple embryos.
The number of women over the age of 40 becoming pregnant has soared in recent years. Susan Seenan, from Infertility Network UK, said, “It’s sad that people are forced to go abroad because they can’t access treatment in the UK. People should go abroad because it’s the right option for them, not because it’s the cheapest option. Infertility treatment is stressful enough anyway.”
