How do I get access to NHS funded and self-funded fertility services?
To access any of our services we require a referral letter from your General Practitioner (GP) or a specialist consultant with contact details for you and your partner (if applicable). Please be aware, to be eligible for self-funding treatment the intended birth mother must be 45 years old or younger with a BMI >18.5 and <32.
Once we have received your referral
You will be added to our self-funding waiting list and appointments will be offered in order of date added. The waiting time for self-funded treatments can be as little as a few months but we will advise you in your letter confirming your addition to the waiting list.
To maximise the capacity of our service to allow us to treat as many people as possible, you will be unable to choose when your treatment begins. If you are not available for treatment when we contact you, we can ‘pause’ your position on the waiting list but only for a maximum of 24 weeks after which you would be removed from the waiting list and will need to be re-referred by your GP or specialist consultant.
We aim to ensure that the prices below are current and up-to-date. However, the Centre reserves the right to vary the costs indicated on this page. The link below contains our current price list, methods of payment and refund policy.
The referral process
Before you and your partner can be referred to the fertility clinic, your GP will arrange for any necessary tests. This includes a semen analysis if required. We carry out diagnostic semen analyses for patients living in and registered with NHS Lothian or Borders GPs.
Your GP will provide you with a Semen Analysis Laboratory Form along with a specimen pot and sample bag. The specimen pot you are given will has been pre-weighed and tested to ensure the plastic is not toxic to the sperm. There is information on the back of the laboratory form and we ask that you phone us at least 2 working days after the referral has been submitted by your GP, to book your appointment with the laboratory. Please arrive on time for your appointment; if you are late we may not be able to accept your sample. If you make an appointment but do not turn up without informing us, you will be removed from the waiting list and will require another referral from your GP.
If your partner is being referred via their NHS Lothian / Borders GP and you are not registered with an NHS Lothian or Borders GP, you will need to arrange for your semen analysis in your own health board area.
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