Georgina Hayes

The Scottish government has launched a review of whether NHS-funded IVF should be extended to single women and to couples who both have children from previous relationships. Current Scottish rules generally exclude single women, while only 50 of 330 IVF cycles involving single women in 2024 received NHS funding. Campaigners say the policy is 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, without additional funding, expansion could lengthen waits for couples needing donor eggs or sperm for medical reasons. The National Fertility Group is expected to publish costed recommendations by early summer 2027, alongside proposals on fertility preservation, donor waiting times and broader consistency of access.