First full year of public service fertility treatment resulted in 267 pregnancies

the HSE said the figure of 267 is 'consistent with international success rates'. File picture: Gareth Fuller/PA

Fertility treatment given to couples under the State’s public system in its first full year of operation resulted in some 267 pregnancies. 

As the Cork clinic prepares to offer expanded services from later this year, advocates have called for more transparency with the service.

Many couples are still unclear what waiting times are in their local fertility hubs, and there is no public dashboard for this in contrast to how hospital lists are shared online.

Among couples referred last year, some 267 pregnancies were reported to the HSE which it said is “consistent with international success rates”.

So far this year each of the six hubs averaged 600 referrals monthly, up from 500 last year. Over 90% of referrals are now made by GPs.

The average wait to meet a nurse then at a hub after filling required paperwork is 12 weeks, the HSE said. This varies between hubs but it did not share details.

According to the HSE, this is “primarily influenced by the speed with which patients return their completed paperwork.”

Couples wait a further “approximately three months” before seeing a medical consultant. It said this is affected by time needed for investigations or checks.

Between January and July, 1,421 new couples were reviewed across the hubs.

The hubs have made 3,000 referrals to eight private clinic groups for treatment since September 2023. Private clinics must offer an appointment within six weeks of referral, and start active treatment within six weeks of this.

This timeline is “closely monitored” by the HSE but it did not provide details by clinic.

So far “just under 25% of the future Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR) team” has been recruited. This is the first hub to reach this stage with more expected to start next year.

National Infertility Support and Information Group (NISIG) chairwoman Caitriona Fitzpatrick, said the lack of indivdual hub data is “disappointing". 

We would like a clear overview, so couples can see where the delays are,” she said. “Why not put that out there, so people can see the waiting lists at each hub.

She is aware of people still opting for fully-private treatment due to the lack of clarity and anecdotally NISIG is aware of longer delays in some areas. She was also critical of the focus on paperwork delays.

“That was a most unempathetic thing to say,” she said. 

“From our end, we meet people who are trying to fill out the forms in a day to get into the system. If there is a delay with forms, it’s certainly not anything like weeks or months.”

Meanwhile on Monday the department of health announced Professor Deirdre Madden, University College Cork as the first chairperson of the Assisted Human Reproduction Regulatory Authority.

She said the new agency will ensure the “health, wellbeing, and legal rights of children born through assisted human reproduction or surrogacy, intending parents and donors”.

Its remit is to protect and ensure the health and wellbeing of children born through AHR, the people going through treatment and intending parents.

Another seven people were appointed to the Board on Monday for between three and four years.

They include Dr Samantha Doyle, a clinical geneticist at the National Maternity Hospital and Dr Julie Kenneally, the AHR Programme Manager at Cork University Maternity Hospital.