Families living in the Channel Islands need more support when they are going through fertility treatment
This is the message coming from those who have had to leave the island of Guernsey for IVF treatment as the process is unavailable on either island, Guernsey or Jersey.
Parents who have undergone treatment said the travel and treatment costs were tough, and they could have benefitted from having more financial and emotional support.
Guernsey health bosses said support was offered but not IVF and that they were reviewing other costs.
In the UK, one cycle of privately-funded IVF can cost about £5,000.
In an interview, Laura Halford told the BBC that she found the cost of IVF extremely difficult to fund.
She said, “We were very fortunate that we had savings. But I know some didn’t have anything, which has put them off as they don’t have the money.”
Laura went on to have her daughter, Mabel, in August 2022.
She said, “With the cost of living rising now, our savings are gone, so we have no safety net to fall back on.”
The BBC reported that the State of Guernsey funds the costs of flights and approved prescriptions for IVF, but Laura said more funding would make fertility treatment much more accessible.
In Jersey, the Tiny Seeds charity has been able to offer grants of about £400 to help towards travel costs.
