IVF Without Delays: How Smart Reminders Saved Time, Costs, and Fertility Hopes

Background

Infertility affects 1 in 6 couples globally. Fertility treatments can be a lifeline for many couples and individuals struggling to conceive, but access to these services is increasingly restricted due to financial constraints within the NHS.

NICE guidelines recommend offering 3 full cycles of IVF to women under 40, as this significantly improves the chances of a successful pregnancy. Despite this, funding for NHS fertility treatment remains inconsistent across the UK, with access dictated by geographical location rather than clinical need.

Many Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) fail to provide 3 cycles, with some offering only a single cycle, or none at all.

At the Wolfson Fertility Centre, we noted that patients frequently attended follow-up appointments with incomplete investigations, leading to additional follow-up visits at a cost of £101.21

Due to waiting times, repeat follow-up appointments often occurred after 3–4 months, which is especially important considering the time-sensitive nature of fertility treatment within the NHS.

Aim

Amid increasing financial pressures on the NHS, this project aimed to optimise patient flow within the Wolfson Fertility Centre reducing the likelihood of repeated appointments and wasted funding.

Objective

To quantify the issue of incomplete investigations, explore reasons behind

   gaps and implement an effective solution.

Method

Retrospective audit of follow-up appointments in May 2024.

Standard: 100% of patients should have complete investigations

17.3% (22/127) had incomplete investigations:

Blood tests (14 patients)

Investigation scan (11 patients)

Semen analyses (9 patients)

Reasons included: no reason (7), pathology order issue (3), language barriers (2), travel (2), others (6).

Intervention