Policy number: SRP 093
Policy name: Sperm, Embryo or Oocyte Cryopreservation
Status: Individual Funding Approval
Effective date: 1 April 2024
Next review date: 1 April 2026
Mid and South Essex ICB commission Sperm, Embryo or Oocyte Cryopreservation on a restricted basis.
Funding for fertility preservation will be offered to patients who have a disease or a condition requiring urgent medically necessary treatment that has a significant likelihood of making them infertile and those whose medical treatment may compromise fertility.
The following fertility preservation methods will be considered for funding:
- Sperm retrieval and cryo-storage
- Ovarian stimulation, egg collection and either egg or embryo cryo-storage
Patients must meet the following criteria:
- Commenced puberty and up to their 42nd birthday.
- Women need to be well enough to undergo ovarian stimulation and egg collection but this should not worsen their condition and sufficient time is available prior to starting treatment.
Embryo or oocycte cryostorage will not be available where a woman:
- Chooses to undergo medical or surgical treatment whose primary purpose is that it will render her infertile, such as sterilisation.
- Requests cryostorage for personal lifestyle reasons, such as wishing to delay trying to conceive.
One cycle of egg collection and up to two separate collections of semen will be funded.
Surgical sperm recovery is not funded.
Fertility preservation treatment must take place prior to the treatment likely to affect fertility.
For eligible patients under this policy, MSE ICB will fund storage of embryo, eggs and sperm:
- until the age of 25 if harvested before 20th birthday
- for 5 years if harvested between her 20th and 38th birthday
- until 43rd birthday if harvested after the age of 38
- six months post a live birth (as a result of either stored material or natural conception)
Patients can choose to fund storage themselves beyond the NHS funded period.
If the patient dies whilst their embryos, eggs and sperm are in storage the ICB will only fund storage 3 months from the date of the person dying. Extended storage beyond this time may be funded privately if applicable.
NHS Funding for use of stored material for assisted conception in line with the ICB policy. Any further costs e.g. use of sperm/oocytes in private fertility treatment or transport to another clinic etc would need to be met by the patient.
Funding for patients not meeting the above criteria will only be granted in clinically exceptional circumstances.
Find out more information on applying for funding in exceptional clinical circumstances
It should be noted that MSE ICB is not the responsible commissioner for Pre-implantation Genetic Diagnosis and associated IVF/ICSI. This service is commissioned by NHS England.
Specialist fertility services for members of the Armed Forces are commissioned separately by NHS England.