Wales has a single all-Wales NHS IVF policy, CP38, commissioned by the Welsh Health Specialised Services Committee (now the NHS Wales Joint Commissioning Committee). Eligible women under 40 can have up to two NHS IVF cycles, and women aged 40 to 42 one cycle. The official policy text we could check is the 2017 version, and the outcome of a 2023 consultation on changes is unconfirmed, so check the current rules with your health board.
| Criterion | CP38 |
|---|---|
| Cycles | Up to two NHS IVF cycles; one at 40 to 42 if never had IVF, no low ovarian reserve and implications discussed |
| Age | Women at least 20, treated up to their 43rd birthday; men 55 or younger |
| Weight and smoking | Women's BMI 19 to 30; non-smoking at treatment |
| Relationship | Couples cohabiting for at least 2 years |
| Children | At least one partner has no living children; single patients must have none |
| Previous IVF | Three or more previous cycles by either partner, NHS or private, exclude further NHS IVF |
| Proof of need | Heterosexual couples: two years of trying or a fertility problem. Same-sex couples and single patients: no live birth after at least six non-stimulated insemination cycles, or a fertility problem |
| Wait before first cycle | At least 12 months unless clinically justified |
| Armed Forces | Compensation Scheme recipients made infertile by military action: three full cycles |
Sources: WHSSC CP38 Specialist Fertility Services v9.0 (January 2017, released under FOI); Senedd Research (December 2024).
IUI is funded by the health boards, not by the committee: each health board decides how many IUI rounds it funds, while the committee funds donor sperm used for IUI (Cwm Taf Morgannwg UHB, FOI response). In 2024, 35% of IVF cycles in Wales were NHS-funded (HFEA).
In early 2023 the committee consulted on changes, according to Fertility Network UK, including two partial cycles, no treatment at 40 to 42, and 12 IUI rounds for same-sex couples. We could not confirm the outcome of that consultation. Senedd Research, updated in December 2024, still describes two cycles.
The policy text available is from 2017 and a 2023 consultation outcome is unconfirmed. Treat this page as background and confirm every rule with your health board.
Because Welsh rules ask same-sex couples and single patients to try insemination first, it helps to know what IUI involves. Map to the Positive explains that in IUI, sperm is processed in a lab and placed directly into the uterus at the moment of ovulation, usually combined with ovulation induction. The book lists its indications:
On the book's treatment ladder, IUI with induction is tried for 3 to 6 cycles before moving to IVF, unless age or a severe diagnosis justifies skipping ahead.
IUI and IVF are explained in Chapter 34 of Map to the Positive, in Station IV, as rungs on a treatment ladder that starts with the least invasive option. The same station covers when to see a specialist, how to choose a doctor, and IVF step by step with the questions to ask before you start.
Take 30 days. If it does not give you more clarity than everything you have read for free so far, ask for a refund and you get every cent back. We cannot promise you a pregnancy. We can promise you will not be guessing.
References: What's the latest on access to IVF treatment in Wales? - Senedd Research (2024-12-16) · WHSSC Commissioning Policy CP38 Specialist Fertility Services v9.0 (Swansea Bay UHB FOI disclosure) (2017-01) · FOI response CTMUHB_160_26: IUI funding - Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board (accessed 2026-10-30) · Fertility Network UK warns on proposed Welsh fertility policy changes - Fertility Network UK (accessed 2026-10-30) · Fertility treatment 2024: trends and figures - HFEA (2026-06-16)