NHS Treatment Pathway

Your guide to starting NHS Funded Treatment

Your referral pathway to BCRM

BCRM holds an NHS contract which means people can choose to come to us for their NHS funded fertility treatment.

For some it’s because of our excellent success rates, for others it’s our philosophy of care and the support we provide our couples throughout their whole journey and treatment.

Meet the Team
Meet our expert team

BCRM is able to treat patients from the following or surrounding areas:

  • Bristol
  • Bath
  • Taunton
  • Swindon
  • Gloucester
  • Cheltenham
  • Exeter (Devon)
  • Plymouth (Devon)
  • Truro (Cornwall)

In order to meet NHS funding requirements you will first need to be referred by your GP for assessment at a specialist NHS General Fertility clinic to confirm your diagnosis and that you meet eligibility criteria for treatment. Following assessment and confirmation that Assisted Conception (IVF/ICSI) treatment is appropriate, you can ask to be referred to BCRM – Bristol Centre for Reproductive Medicine in line with Patient Choice.

Eligibility for NHS funding

  • Heterosexual couples who have not conceived after two years of regular unprotected sex
  • Cannot already have children together or separately
  • Both must be non-smokers
  • Prospective mother's BMI must be between 19 - 29.9 for a minimum of 6 months
  • Prospective mother must be referred before her 39th birthday, prospective father must be under 54 years of age

NHS Treatment Pathway

Investigations with GP

The first step of pursuing fertility treatment under the NHS will be going to your GP for investigations. If you have been trying to conceive for more than 12 months without success your GP should refer you for some initial tests, for men this will be a semen analysis and for women this will be some hormone blood tests.

Referral to General Fertility

Once you have been trying to conceive for 2 years, if you meet criteria, your GP will refer you to a NHS General Fertility clinic for more in depth investigations. If you live in the Bristol area this will most likely be at Southmead Hospital or St Michael's Hospital.

Confirmation of Funding

Once your investigations have been completed with a General Fertility, if the recommendation is that you move forward with fertility treatment then your funding will be applied for on your behalf. Once this has been confirmed you will be given a list of clinics where you can proceed with NHS funded treatment. This is when you can choose to come to BCRM.

First Appointment with BCRM

Once we have received your paperwork, we would bring you in for an appointment with one of our clinical team to go through and make a plan for your treatment cycle.

Proceed to Treatment

We have no waiting list for treatment so once everything was in place you can start as soon as you would like.