Coping with Consumption

Abstract

IVF is a substantial and growing business in the UK, and the limited availability of health authority funding means that over 80 per cent of all IVF cycles in the UK are self-funded, either within NHS facilities or in private clinics (Challoner 1999: 58).²⁹ The relative lack of publicly funded treatment automatically places IVF out of reach of many who would seek it if it were readily available through the NHS, although the long-term NICE recommendations discussed in the Introduction for expanded and nationally consistent provision are intended to address this to some extent.