From IVF waiting times in Scotland Quarter ending 31 March 2026 published today:

During the quarter ending 31 March 2026, 373 patients were screened. The 90% standard was met, with all patients attending a screening appointment within 52 weeks of referral.

Source: https://www.publichealthscotland.scot/publications/ivf-waiting-times-in-scotland/ivf-waiting-times-in-scotland-quarter-ending-31-march-2026/

In November 2019, I could write:

The four IVF centres in Scotland screened 370 eligible patients, compared with 290 in the previous quarter. In all four centres, 100% of patients were screened for IVF treatment within 365 days. The 90% standard continues to be met [beaten] since it was first measured in March 2015.

Click to access 2019-11-26-IVF-Summary.pdf

Nothing has changed since except Public Health Scotland is modestly avoiding telling us about its longer term success like they did as recently as two years ago:

Here’s why it matters so much:

In June 2024:

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

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/