IVF treatment delays ’caused by staff absences’

Martin Shipton

Would-be parents waiting for IVF treatment have been told they will have to wait longer because of staffing problems.

A Nation.Cymru reader who is one of those affected contacted us and said: “Simply put, those waiting for IVF at the Welsh Fertility Institute (WFI) are being told they will have to wait at least four weeks for treatment. Some were days away from treatment when letters were sent.

“The WFI is the only NHS IVF centre in the whole of Wales. I think this is pretty disconcerting.”

The letter sent out to those awaiting treatment states that the delay has been caused “because of an absence of staff in key areas of the workforce”.

According to a statement on its website, the WFI “offers a full range of assisted reproduction treatments and the highest standard of care”.

The statement adds: “Our highly qualified team of consultants, embryologists, nurses, laboratory, counselling and administration staff offer a friendly and supportive environment to couples seeking infertility advice and treatment to help them reach their goal of becoming a family.

“We realise that assisted reproduction can be a highly emotional experience, and we offer an individually tailored plan for each couple to help them remain actively involved and ensure they have complete confidence in decisions affecting their treatment.

“The WFI has strong links with the research team at Cardiff University and Swansea University who strive to find ways of increasing the chances of pregnancy in infertile couples. This allows us to continually develop the latest techniques in assisted reproduction, and ensure that our patients are offered the most appropriate treatment.

“All team members are expected to operate in a way that is consistent with the values of the health board; ‘caring for each other’, ‘working together’ and ‘always improving’.

“We will remember to put the patient in the centre of all that we do and decisions that we make.”

NHS funding accounted for 35% of IVF cycles carried out in Wales in 2024, according to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). Across the UK, around 53,000 patients underwent IVF during the year, with frozen embryo transfers accounting for almost half (48%) of all IVF cycles. The average IVF birth rate per embryo transferred was 30% in 2024, with the highest birth rate among patients aged 18-34, at 38%.

We asked the Welsh Government for a statement on the delays and for an indication of how many people were affected.

The Welsh Government referred us to a body called the NWJCC (NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee), as the Welsh Fertility Institute is a service commissioned by it.

‘Upsetting’

The NWJCC referred us in turn to Swansea Bay University Health Board, a spokesperson for which told us: “We understand how upsetting this temporary delay is for the patients affected, particularly those who are very close to starting their treatment.

“We recognise the additional stress this is causing and we are really sorry.

“But we want to reassure patients that we are doing everything possible to resume the service, working closely with the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee.

“We are hopeful the temporary pause will not extend beyond the estimated four weeks and patients will be updated as soon as we have more news to share.

“It is worth being clear that while the pause relates to those who haven’t yet started their treatment, it does not affect those who are part-way through – their treatment will continue in the usual way.”

The health board offered no explanation for the apparent staffing problem or details of the number of would-be parents affected.

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