By Professor John Robertson OBA

From Public Health Scotland, today, the above trend evidence and:

During the quarter ending 30 June 2024, 372 patients attended a screening appointment. The 90% standard was met, with all patients screened within 52 weeks of referral.¹

And from Fertility Scotland:

Scotland is proud to be the only UK nation to provide up to three full IVF/ICSI cycles on the NHS for eligible couples with some of the highest pregnancy rates and lowest multiple births across all UK nations.²

In England:

IVF: ‘People are being priced out of becoming parents’³

How free IVF saves lives and reduces NHS bills – from 2022 research published in European Psychiatry:

The psychosocial impact of infertility has been well researched and documented. However very little research has been conducted to assess the causative relationship between infertility and serious psychiatric illness such as suicide. According to the results obtained by assessment of MINI scale , the prevalence of major depressive disorder (50 % ) followed by Dysthymia (persistent depression) (25%) was documented among infertile group while suicidality at 15% were significantly higher than other disorder. No such cases of suicidality or Dysthymia was found among patients of control group. (fertile group).⁴

Sources:

1. https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/ivf-waiting-times-in-scotland/ivf-waiting-times-in-scotland-quarter-ending-30-june-2024/
2. https://fertility.scot/about-nhsscotland-fertility-services/#:~:text=Learn%20more%20about%20Fertility%20Services%20in%20NHS%20Scotland,births%20across%20all%20UK%20nations.
3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-67946227
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9566938/

The OBA – https://scotsindependent.scot/?page_id=116