FREE fertility treatment services for Limerick and the Mid West has resulted in more than 100 pregnancies in the 19 months since the scheme was introduced.
And such is the want for new bundles of joy that there are 30 new referrals every month and 326 patients on a waiting list.
But stringent conditions exist, including age limits for both men and women, weight and body mass for women, and no access for women who want to be a lone parent.
Since the Regional Fertility Hub services opened to serve the Mid West at Nenagh Hospital in September 2023, 721 patients have been seen, “reflecting the significant demand and the vital role of the service plays”, a HSE spokesperson said.
Releasing figures for the first time at the request of the Limerick Post, the spokesperson said that currently 326 patients are on the waiting list, with 123 awaiting their first consultant appointment and 206 scheduled for review.
The service operates with an average of 30 new referrals per month, including approximately 15 assisted reproductive technology (ART) referrals. There have been a total of 243 ART referrals in the regional service to date.
The time from receiving screening forms to the first appointment at the Fertility Hub is approximately three months, followed by an average waiting time of 20 weeks to see a consultant.
“Through its various investigations and procedures, the regional fertility service has contributed to 64 pregnancies and an additional 47 spontaneous pregnancies, underscoring the effectiveness and impact of the care provided,” the spokesman said.
“These figures reflect the dedicated and ongoing efforts of the fertility team in supporting patients on their reproductive journeys and delivering meaningful outcomes in a highly sensitive area of healthcare.”
In order to be investigated for infertility and referred for free ART procedures such as IUI (intrauterine insemination), IVF, and ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection), patients must meet all access criteria and be referred by the female partner’s GP, and be recommended for the treatment by the consultant at the Regional Fertility Hub.
At referral, female patients must be aged between 18 and 40 and 18 and 60 for men. There must be two people involved in the parental process and the two can have just one existing child between them.
Applicants must observe strict alcohol limits, be non-smokers for at least three months, and be free of any recreational drugs for the same period.
The full access criteria are available on hse.ie.
