Patient FAQs

• Access Fertility programmes
• Medical Review
• Payment
• Treatment

Access Fertility programmes

• Q:What is Access Fertility?
  A:

  Access Fertility offers IVF or ICSI treatment with up to a 100% refund if you do not have a baby.

• Q:Are you a clinic?
  A:

  We are not a clinic but partner with 51 sites across the UK to offer our IVF/ICSI treatment packages. You find your nearest partner clinic by clicking HERE.

• Q:What is the IVF Refund Programme?
  A:

  Our Refund Programme is available to patients under 40 using their own eggs and is subject to a medical review. It offers either 2 or 3 cycles of IVF or ICSI treatment.

  If patients go through all of the available cycles of treatment and do not have a baby they receive a refund of up to 100% of their programme fee.

• Q:What is the Multi-Cycle Programme?
  A:

  Our Multi-Cycle Programme is available to patients under 45 using their own eggs. It offers the same discounted treatment as our IVF Refund Programme but for two cycles.

  The main difference is it does not require a medical review and there is no refund if you complete the programme without having a baby.

• Q:What is the Donor Refund Programme?
  A:

  Our Refund Programme is available to patients under 49 using donor eggs. It offers either 2 or 3 cycles of ICSI treatment.

  If patients go through all of the available cycles of treatment and do not have a baby they receive a refund of up to 100% of their programme fee.

  These programmes are available at our CARE and London Women’s Clinic (LWC) partner clinics across the UK as well as at Manchester Fertility.

  The programmes differ at each of these clinics so please get in contact with us on 03300 10 20 40 or support@accessfertility.co.uk and one of our Patient Advisors can provide you with detailed information.

• Q:Who can use Access Fertility’s programmes?
  A:

  Our IVF Refund Programme is available to patients under 40.

  Our Multi-Cycle Programme is available to patients under 45.

  Our Donor Refund Programme at either CARE or LWC is available to patients 49 and under. The Donor programme at Manchester Fertility is available to patients 48 and under.

• Q:What age category would I be in?
  A:

  ​Your age is calculated on the day you make payment for the programme, which is the final step in the application process.

• Q:What is included in your programmes?
  A:

  ​In all of our programmes we include the following:

  • Either 2 or 3 cycles of IVF or ICSI treatment
  • Unlimited Frozen Embryo Transfers (FETs)
  • In-cycle bloods, scans and cycle monitoring
  • Mild sedation
  • Blastocyst Culture & Transfer
  • Freezing and one year of storage (per egg collection)
  • HFEA fee

  ​Other additions are often included but these vary between clinics. Please contact our Patient Advisors on 03300 10 20 40 or support@accessfertility.co.uk for clinic specific brochures.

• Q:What is NOT included in your programmes?
  A:

  ​The main exclusions not covered in our programme are your initial consultation, any investigatory tests the clinic requires prior to treatment and your drugs.

  ​Medication (progesterone and oestrogen) is covered up to the first clinical pregnancy scan for both donor and recipient on our Donor Refund Programmes.

• Q:Do you offer IUI treatment programmes?
  A:

  ​No, our programmes are only available for IVF, ICSI and Donor Egg treatment.

• Q:Can I use frozen embryos from previous treatment on your programmes?
  A:

  ​No. Only embryos created on our programme would be covered by our programmes.

• Q:Are your programmes compatible with shared motherhood?
  A:

  ​We required patients on our IVF Refund and Multi-Cycle Programmes to to carry the embryos collected during their egg collection. Unfortunately this means that shared motherhood/known donor/egg sharing is not compatible with our programmes.

• Q:How long does it take to enrol?
  A:

  ​Our IVF Refund Programme takes a maximum of two weeks to apply for due to the need to complete a medical review.

  ​Our Multi-Cycle Programme does not require a medical review and it is possible for applications to be completed within the same day.

• Q:How long is your waiting list?
  A:

  ​Access Fertility is not a clinic so we do not have a waiting list. You would need to speak to your chosen clinic directly to confirm their wait times (if any).

• Q:What are your success rates?
  A:

  ​We do not have success rates for our programmes but you can find the individual success rates of our partner clinics on the HFEA website. They are the governing body for IVF in the UK and they compile data on all the clinics here: https://www.hfea.gov.uk

• Q:When can I start treatment?
  A:

  ​Once you have signed your agreement form and made payment. The clinic will then be notified and you can decide with them when to begin treatment.

• Q:Can I withdraw from the programme?
  A:

  ​You can withdraw at any time from the programme and would receive a partial refund.

• Q:Do I have to fill out any paperwork?
  A:

  ​Everything we do is electronic so you will not get any post or have to print and scan anything. Everything is done via your patient portal.

Medical Review

• Q:What is the medical review?
  A:

  To apply for our IVF Refund Programme we perform a medical review to see which of our 50%, 70% or 100% treatment programmes our medical team recommends for individual patients.

• Q:How does it work?
  A:

  Our medical team will assess the results of the investigatory tests conducted by your clinic. You do not need to meet with anyone from Access Fertility or conduct any additional tests.

  You will need to sign consent forms to give us permission to view your test results. We will then collect the medical data from the clinic, conduct an assessments and then call you to inform you of the outcome.

  We advise patients to call us on 03300 10 20 40 once they have been into their clinic for their initial consultation and received the results of their investigatory tests. Our patient advisors can then follow up with the clinic to ensure the Medical Review is completed swiftly.

• Q:Do patient and partner have to sign the consent forms?
  A:

  Yes, you will each need to sign an online form. You will both be sent a link to our online portal. You will each need to create individual login details and sign either the Patient Consent Form or Partner Consent Form.

• Q:How long does it take?
  A:

  The medical review is done within a maximum of two weeks after we have received both of your signed forms.

• Q:Are there set criteria?
  A:

  No, our medical team look at everyone on a patient by patient basis using your test results, previous treatment history and any further information available to them.

  If you have had three or more cycles, the likelihood of being accepted on to one of the IVF Refund programmes is significantly lower.

• Q:Do you have a BMI requirement?
  A:

  We do not have any criteria for BMI and we would proceed in line with what is medically recommended by your clinic. If they are happy to treat you, please make an application.

• Q:How do I know if I am eligible or not?
  A:

  Once our medical team have concluded your review, whoever has been designated by as the main point of contact will be telephoned by one of our patient advisors. They will let you know which programmes the medical team have made you eligible (if any) and you can choose which programme to proceed with there and then or call us back after taking some time to consider. We will then send you the Agreement Form for the specific Programme you choose to proceed with.

Payment

• Q:When does payment need to be made?
  A:

  We work with 51 clinics across the UK to offer our treatment programmes. Each clinic requires payment at different stages. Please contact us on 03300 10 20 40 or support@accessfertility.co.uk and one of our patient advisors can confirm when to make payment.

• Q:Can your prices change?
  A:

  Our prices are subject to change. The price listed in any Agreement Form sent out to you is valid for 14 days and after this period you would need to pay any price increase.

• Q:How do I pay?
  A:

  We prefer to receive payment via bank transfer. In rare circumstances we can also accept payment via debit card. We do not accept credit cards or American Express.

• Q:Do you offer loans?
  A:

  We are not currently offering loans to fund Access Fertility programmes.

  If you have an existing loan with us, and you have any queries, please call Access Fertility on 03300102040 / email support@accessfertility.co.uk or Fertility Finance on 0203 813 8246 / email contact@fertility-finance.co.uk.

Treatment

• Q:What is IVF?
  A:

  Further information can be found here: https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/explore-all-treatments/ivf-options/

• Q:What is ICSI?
  A:

  Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection or ICSI is generally used when there is a male fertility issue. A single healthy sperm is injected directly into the egg.

  Further information can be found here: https://www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/explore-all-treatments/intracytoplasmic-sperm-injection-icsi/

• Q:What do you classify as a cycle?
  A:

  As soon as an egg collection takes place this is classified as a cycle regardless of the outcome, even if no eggs are collected.

  All viable embryos created from this egg collection are classified as being part of the same cycle and initially you would do a fresh embryo transfer with any remaining being frozen. If the fresh embryo does not result in a baby you would then proceed with transferring any frozen embryos before proceeding to the next egg collection.

• Q:Do I have to use all my frozen embryos?
  A:

  Yes, all frozen embryos must be transferred prior to moving on to the next cycle.

• Q:What do you count as success?
  A:

  On our programmes we only classify a live birth as success.

• Q:What happens if I am successful on my first cycle? Do I get any money back?
  A:

  If you are successful on your first cycle your treatment allowance is complete with us. You will not get any refund and you cannot use any further treatment.

• Q:What if my cycle is cancelled prior to egg collection?
  A:

  We classify this as a cancelled cycle and Access Fertility would pay a cancellation fee on the first occurence to the clinic. This would not count towards your cycles of treatment. If you have a second cancelled cycle then you would need to pay this fee before continuing with any remaining treatment.

• Q:What happens if I fall naturally pregnant?
  A:

  Firstly, please give us a call to let us know. Most patients wait to do so until after their clinical pregnancy scan.

  You can then withdraw for a full or partial refund (depending on what treatment you have had) or remain on the programme and use your treatment at a later date.

• Q:Are your programmes compatible with PGS?
  A:

  Yes, you are able to use PGS alongside our programme but the cost of this is not included in our programme fees. You would need to pay the clinic directly.

  The one condition we have is that no batching of embryos takes place. What this means is that any viable embryos from your first cycle would be tested and transferred prior to you moving on to your next egg collection.

• Q:Are your programmes compatible with PGD?
  A:

  Unfortunately PGD cannot be used alongside our programmes.

• Q:Can I choose to have twins?
  A:

  The HFEA, the governing body for IVF in the UK, generally recommends single embryo transfers to avoid the risks involved with twinning to both mother and child. After the age of 40 the clinic may recommend a double embryo transfer but this would not necessarily guarantee you having twins.