The National Maternity Hospital’s Public Fertility Hub has begun making referrals for HSE-funded assisted conception treatments such as In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF), Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) for people who meet HSE access criteria. The Hub is one of six regional fertility hubs that provide publicly funded fertility advice, investigations and other treatments for eligible people experiencing issues with fertility. The Hub can now also assess and refer eligible patients to a HSE-approved fertility clinic of their choice for assisted conception.
Commenting, Master of The National Maternity Hospital, Professor Shane Higgins said:
“At the National Maternity Hospital, we are committed to constantly enhancing and advancing the services we provide. We welcome the introduction of publicly funded assisted reproductive therapy as an important step forward for reproductive healthcare in Ireland. This is a positive development that further expands access and choice for people who are experiencing fertility issues.”
Head of the Department of Reproductive Medicine and Clinical Lead at The National Maternity Hospital’s Fertility Hub, Dr David Crosby commented:
“Until now, the prohibitive cost of assisted reproduction in Ireland has been a barrier to many accessing the most appropriate fertility management. We are delighted to now be in a position to help many couples in need of assisted reproductive therapy to achieve their family goals with the introduction of public funding for these services. We hope that continued support will enable this service to expand into the future.”
Further information:
• The National Maternity Hospital’s Fertility Hub offers publicly funded fertility advice, investigations and treatment for eligible people experiencing fertility issues. The Fertility Hub is located at the main hospital at Holles Street in Dublin. For further information on our services and our team got to www.nmh.ie/fertilityhub
• People experiencing fertility issues should first visit their GP, who can refer them to their regional fertility hub in line with HSE access criteria.
• HSE access criteria for Assisted Reproduction Treatments – IVF, IUI and ICSI can be viewed here