New research has revealed huge discrepancies in the time it takes to access NHS fertility services in England.
And it shows York patients have to wait longer than the national average.
In a league table of accessibility to fertility services, York scored joint 19th on GP referral times, with patients having to wait on average 44 weeks from being referred by their doctor to receiving fertility treatment
That is more than double the time in the best location – Northampton, where the wait time is 21 weeks.
The average wait time in England is 40 weeks.
The study, by My Expert Midwife, was based on data collected from 550 NHS fertility clinics, analysing GP referral times, patient ratings, number of clinics per person, and waiting times for egg and sperm donors.
NHS fertility clinic referral wait times
| City | Average time from GP referral to treatment (in weeks) | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| Northampton | 21 | 1st |
| Twickenham | 25 | 2nd |
| Croydon | 27 | 3rd |
| Harrow | 27 | 3rd |
| St Albans | 27 | 3rd |
| Brighton | 28 | 4th |
| Gloucester | 28 | 4th |
| Tunbridge Wells | 28 | 4th |
| Dorchester | 29 | 5th |
| Guildford | 29 | 5th |
| Leeds | 29 | 5th |
| Sutton | 29 | 5th |
| Peterborough | 29 | 5th |
| Kingston upon Thames | 30 | 6th |
| Blackburn | 30 | 6th |
| Medway | 30 | 6th |
| Bromley | 31 | 7th |
| Carlisle | 31 | 7th |
| Lancaster | 32 | 8th |
| Slough | 32 | 8th |
| Southall | 33 | 9th |
| Nottingham | 33 | 9th |
| Luton | 33 | 9th |
| London | 34 | 10th |
| Crewe | 34 | 10th |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 34 | 10th |
| Walsall | 34 | 10th |
| Doncaster | 34 | 10th |
| Blackpool | 35 | 11th |
| Oxford | 35 | 11th |
| Warrington | 35 | 11th |
| Liverpool | 36 | 12th |
| Sheffield | 36 | 12th |
| Reading | 36 | 12th |
| Torquay | 36 | 12th |
| Stevenage | 37 | 13th |
| Darlington | 38 | 14th |
| Dudley | 38 | 14th |
| Teesside | 38 | 14th |
| England | 40 | 14th |
| Truro | 40 | 15th |
| Southampton | 41 | 16th |
| Swindon | 42 | 17th |
| Wigan | 42 | 17th |
| Wolverhampton | 42 | 17th |
| Stockport | 43 | 18th |
| Derby | 43 | 18th |
| Coventry | 44 | 19th |
| Colchester | 44 | 19th |
| Ipswich | 44 | 19th |
| Lincoln | 44 | 19th |
| Salisbury | 44 | 19th |
| York | 44 | 19th |
| Harrogate | 45 | 20th |
| Chelmsford | 46 | 21st |
| Halifax | 46 | 21st |
| Portsmouth | 46 | 21st |
| Shrewsbury | 47 | 22nd |
| Telford | 47 | 22nd |
| Cambridge | 48 | 23rd |
| Manchester | 48 | 23rd |
| Birmingham | 49 | 24th |
| Bath | 50 | 25th |
| Exeter | 50 | 25th |
| Plymouth | 50 | 25th |
| Oldham | 51 | 26th |
| Chester | 53 | 27th |
| Norwich | 53 | 27th |
| Enfield | 54 | 28th |
| Hull | 56 | 29th |
| Worcester | 56 | 29th |
| Canterbury | 58 | 30th |
| Preston | 59 | 31st |
| Bolton | 62 | 32nd |
| Bradford | 62 | 32nd |
| Hemel Hempstead | 62 | 32nd |
| Leicester | 73 | 33rd |
Lesley Gilchrist, registered midwife and co-founder of My Expert Midwife said: “This data shows that there is a real disparity in the provision of fertility services across the UK with a huge difference in the waiting times and the number of clinics per population across the UK.
“In the UK, most couples will not be referred to a fertility specialist unless they have been actively trying for a baby for a year, are in a same-sex relationship or have a pre-existing fertility-related condition.
“For those that go on to fertility investigations and treatment, many couples find the process mentally and physically draining. They find it causes emotional turmoil, in some cases places financial pressures on themselves and puts huge pressure on their relationships, all of which can lead to increased anxiety and depression.”
The research was released at the start of World Infertility Awareness Month.
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