Selection Criteria & First Steps

We can help, advise, and treat you if you:

• are having difficulty achieving a pregnancy naturally
• have had previous, unsuccessful treatment cycles
• are experiencing male factor problems
• have issues with recurrent miscarriage
• require the use of donor eggs, sperm or surrogacy arrangements
• are considering freezing your eggs, sperm, or embryos for later use
• want to find out more about your fertility

It is generally accepted that if you have been trying for two years, then you should have investigations.  However, there may be significant previous medical problems which may affect the fertility of either partner, and which suggest that you should have investigations sooner.

If you are experiencing or have a history of any of the following, please contact us:

Either partner:

• A history of treatment for cancer

Female Partner: A history of the following:

• Your mother having a menopause prior to 45 years of age
• A family history of late onset diabetes, usually treated with diet and/or tablets (this may be your grandparents)
• Irregular periods
• Previous history of a pelvic infection, which may have been pelvic inflammatory disease, or related to e.g. appendicitis
• A history of a laparoscopy to investigate pelvic pain, which revealed endometriosis
• Recurrent miscarriage (3 or more consecutive pregnancy losses)

Male Partner:

• Any testicular surgery or injury, even as a child
• Vasectomy and reversal, which may result in a good sperm count on a simple semen evaluation, but reveal a significant level of anti-sperm antibodies if a more detailed assessment is performed
• Erection or ejaculatory problems

There is no need for a referral from your GP, if you would like to talk to us or make an appointment to discuss your fertility, please contact us directly.

The criteria for NHS funding does not apply to fertility investigations.  If you wish to be seen initially as an NHS patient, you will need a referral from your GP into the Sub Fertility Clinic, your GP will submit this via an online referral system called ERS.

Information about criteria for treatment:

The Clinic has selection criteria to ensure that patients who we are treating have a realistic chance of success, specifically as all treatments are not without risk.

The success rates of fertility treatments using a lady’s own eggs, declines rapidly once a woman is aged 40 years or over. We may only offer to treat women over 40 years of age following counselling and tests to ensure the ovaries are functioning satisfactorily.  Subject to the Medical Director’s discretion, we are able to commence treatment up until the date of the lady’s 46th birthday when using her own eggs.   We are not able to offer treatment to anyone under the age of 18, unless this is for the purpose of fertility preservation.   Lady’s having treatment with donor eggs may commence treatment up until the date of the lady’s 48th birthday.

The Clinic has ethical and legal obligations to the welfare of existing children, and any child born as a result of any treatment, and may decline treatment if doubts about such welfare exist.  In order to assess the welfare of the child we will give you a letter to take to your general practitioner, who will sign it to indicate to us that he/she knows no reason why you should not be treated.  We will also ask each partner to complete a questionnaire from the HFEA.

Female Body Mass Index (BMI) –BMI is a measure of body “fatness”.   The Clinic cannot treat any patient with a body mass index greater than 35 at the time of treatment.  This is to protect both mother and baby during any resultant pregnancy.  If your BMI is higher than 35 we will provide healthy lifestyle advice and may refer you to a specialist to help you achieve your weight goal.

BMI is calculated by dividing your weight in kgs, by your height in metres squared.    Weight (kg) / [height (m)]²

Normal Range:  18.5 – 25:  Overweight:  25 – 30:  Obese:>30

The reason for this restriction is that an increased BMI is associated with a decreased pregnancy rate – and an increased risk of miscarriage and other complications if pregnancy is achieved.  If you have problems calculating your BMI before we see you, you could ask the practice nurse at your GP surgery to work out the BMI for you or use an online BMI calculator.

For NHS funding a BMI of <30 is usually required.

Before starting a treatment cycle, single ladies will be asked to attend a counselling session, as well proving the standard Welfare of the Child assessment from their GP.  This is to ensure the lady having treatment has a good support network and has considered all aspects of becoming a solo mum.  For the vast majority, treatment can start very soon after the counselling has taken place.

General Advice:

We suggest any couple trying to achieve a pregnancy to have intercourse 3 times a week.  If you do this there is no need to time the cycle, which we believe isn’t beneficial, and can affect relationships.  We do not encourage the use of ovulation prediction kits, which are expensive, and not necessary if intercourse is occurring as above.

You can improve your chances of conceiving if you eat a healthy diet, exercise and stop smoking and reduce alcohol intake to within advised limits.   Please note that recent advice suggests using tobacco substitutes such as vaping may also affect sperm quality.

If the female partners BMI is less than 30 this will significantly improve your changes of a successful pregnancy.

Caffeine should be stopped by the female partner wishing to conceive.

All ladies wishing to conceive should take folic acid 400 ug daily, and vitamin D, and we also support the use of L-carnitine which may improve embryo quality.

Please note some ladies taking anti-epileptic drugs may need to take Folic Acid in a dose of 5 mg.  Please ask if you are unsure.

Next steps:

Once you have contacted us to make an appointment, we will send you information about your appointment and some paperwork which will need to be completed by you, and your partner if applicable.  If you have had previous tests for fertility, it would be helpful for these to be sent to us, along with the completed paperwork, before your appointment.  This helps our consultants provide you with the best advice and plan of care.  We will also ask for a form of photo-ID, e.g. a photographic driving license or a passport.

Page Last Modified: 27th May 2026