OVERSEAS IVF ON THE RISE: ENQUIRIES FROM UK PATIENTS FOR TREATMENT IN SPAIN UP 347% IN PAST YEAR

• Spain, Czech Republic and Turkey are the most popular destinations for Brits seeking fertility treatment abroad
• Enquiries from UK patients to fertility clinics in Spain increased by 145% in the past year
• Enquiries for fertility specialist consultations in the UK increased by almost a half (49%)
• Most popular treatment in UK clinics is intrauterine insemination (IUI), demand increased by almost a third (31%)
• IVF treatment enquiries increased by 45%, with average starting price tag of £2,236
• Fertility testing saw the biggest increase in enquiries since last year, up 170%

New research has revealed that in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment is the most common fertility treatment that UK patients seek abroad, as enquiries to clinics in Spain have increased by 347% in the past year*, according to global healthcare search engine, WhatClinic.com.

There are approximately 3.5 million people in the UK who have difficulty conceiving, that’s almost one in seven couples [1]. Many Brits seek fertility treatment abroad and Spain, the Czech Republic and Turkey topped the list as the most popular overseas destinations.

Spain remains a popular destination for fertility treatment year-on-year, despite the fact that the cost of treatment is often lower in the UK, according to WhatClinic’s data. In total, there were 1,463 enquiries made by UK patients to fertility clinics in Spain (by phone and email) in the past 12 months, up from 598 in the previous 12 month period, an increase of 145%.

The Czech Republic offers the largest saving on fertility treatment compared to the UK, particularly for preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) which saw an increase in enquiries of 162% and potential savings of £2,483. Egg freezing is also cheaper in the Czech Republic, saving Brits up to £2,424, and saw an increase of 175% in enquiries. Other popular medical tourism destinations for fertility procedures include Greece, Cyprus, Poland and India.

The following table shows the fertility treatments that have seen the largest increase in enquiries from Brits to clinics overseas in the past year, and the price comparison for each compared to the UK: