Flying to conceive Britons forced to go overseas for IVF after UK costs soar

Caroline cried cycling to work after discovering she was going through early menopause. She had received the diagnosis over the phone from her GP after months of brain fog, depression and other unexplained symptoms. Shortly afterwards, she ended up in a fertility clinic in Greece.

- Sarah Marsh

At the time, three years ago, and then aged 34, Caroline, who did not want to give her full name, knew she wanted children, but her options in the UK were limited.

There was a year-long waiting list for a single cycle of IVF in her area of London, plus another year wait for egg donation. "The length of wait was too long," says Caroline.

She could have gone private in the UK but decided instead to fly 1,500 miles for treatment. "It feels a bit horrible to say, but the decision came down to cost," she says.

If you choose to receive IVF treatment via egg donation, the average cost of a cycle in Greece is between €4,200 (£3,610) and €6,000. If you are using your own egg it can cost between €2,500 and €3,500 for one cycle. Caroline paid €6,000 for an IVF cycle with a donor egg. With travel and accommodation on top, as well as embryo storage, medication and scans it cost about £9,000. In the UK, costs for IVF range from anywhere between £3,500 and £7,000 a cycle. If you need donated eggs it costs from £7,000 to £12,000.

Like Caroline, a growing number of Britons are going abroad for fertility treatments.

GlobMed, a company that helps people navigate private healthcare globally, says its Greek partner clinic has had a 15-20% year-on-year growth in British patients.