This content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost. Let us know if you find any major problems.
Text in this format is not official and should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments. Please see the PDF for the official version of the document.
WQ.75/2024
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR HEALTH AND SOCIAL SERVICES BY DEPUTY L.K.F. STEPHENSON OF ST. MARY, ST. OUEN AND ST. PETER QUESTION SUBMITTED ON MONDAY 11th MARCH 2024
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON MONDAY 18th MARCH 2024
Question
“Will the Minister provide the following statistics relating to the Assisted Reproduction Unit (ARU) for the year 2023 –
- the total number of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) cycles started;
- the total number of unique patients/couples to undergo an IVF cycle during the year;
- the total number of IVF cycles to reach embryo transfer;
- the total number of transfers to result in a positive pregnancy test, broken down by the following age groups –
- Under 35;
- 35 to 39;
- 40 to 42; and
- 42 and over;
- the number of live births, broken down by the same age groups;
- how many of the cycles and outcomes listed above included the use of donor eggs or sperm, or both;
- how many unique patients were seen by the ARU in the year;
- where ARU acted as a satellite clinic for treatment elsewhere, a breakdown of the clinics used and the number of patients seen; and
- the total budget for the ARU during 2023, and how much of that was made up of revenue generated by private patients paying for treatment?”
Answer
The Assisted Reproduction Unit (ARU) in Jersey provides assistance and support to public patients for
• couples who are having difficulty getting pregnant
• those suffering from recurrent miscarriages
• those requiring genetic and other advice about future conception and pregnancy
• Individuals undergoing chemotherapy who want to preserve their fertility
• Individuals who are transitioning from one sex to another and wish to preserve their fertility potential
• It is also envisaged in 2024 that the menopause service will be incorporated into ARU at EQ centre
HCS funds IVF for Jersey patients whose joint income is less than £41,000 per year. Those patients who do not meet this threshold may choose to self-fund the IVF and this can be supported with private practice either by the lead consultant in ARU or by a retired gynaecologist and GP in the community. Some patients may also elect to have all their treatment off-island.
There were no state-funded IVF cycles in 2023. As a result, ARU does not have sight of all patients who underwent IVF in 2023 as the treatment would have been privately funded as per the options above.
Accepting the above caveat, the answer to the questions above are:
- 68
- 51
- 61
- 51 IVF (61 total - this includes frozen and fresh cycles)*
- 21
- 27
- 8
- 5
*It is important to note that a frozen embryo transfer (FET) is not classified as In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF), because IVF is defined as egg fertilization outside of the body.
- ARU does not collect this data. It is collected by IVF centres in the UK as required by the UK Regulator (the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA)) or by the relevant overseas centre if outside the UK.
- Donor eggs 11, donor sperm 18.
- 205
- Of the 68 patients who underwent IVF, 27 went to Lister Surgery, 35 went to Bristol Centre for Reproductive Medicine (BCRM), and the remaining went to a centre in Spain, Greece or Cyprus.
- The 2023 annual budget for the service was set at £563,613. Receipt of income from private patients amounted to £8,980.