Andrew Picken

The Scottish government has launched a review into whether NHS-funded IVF should be extended to single women and to couples who both have children from previous relationships. The review, led by the National Fertility Group, will also examine fertility-preservation access and donor-gamete waiting times, with recommendations due by early summer 2027. Campaigners say the current rules are discriminatory and that a child’s wellbeing depends on love, safety and stable relationships rather than having two parents. Fertility specialists broadly welcome wider eligibility but warn that expanding access without new funding could lengthen waits for patients who need donor eggs or sperm for medical reasons. In 2024, only 50 of 330 IVF cycles for single women in Scotland were NHS-funded.