In this section
The Department of Reproductive Medicine provides the whole range of medical and surgical treatment options for couples and individuals with fertility problems in the Northwest of England. Depending on the needs and clinical features of patients, we can provide fertility testing, ovulation induction, laparoscopic and open surgery and assisted conception.
Each year the Department provides around 700 cycles of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment, 700 cycles of frozen embryo replacement (FER), 100 cycles of insemination with partner or donor sperm (IUI) and 100 fertility preservation procedures for females and 350 preservation procedures for males .
The range of clinical services also include cryopreservation of sperm, eggs, embryos and treatment of couples with donated eggs and embryos.
Our Andrology laboratory provides diagnostic clinical pathology services, one of the largest long term sperm banks for cancer patients in the UK, and also houses the UK’s national external quality assurance schemes for Reproductive Science (UK NEQAS RS).
The work of the Department is regulated and licensed by UK statutory bodies including the Care Quality Commission (CQC), Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) and United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). The Department operates to the EU Cells and Tissues Directive 2007, including provision of clean-air facilities for IVF and a full Quality Management system.
Further information on IVF treatment can be found here:
You and your partner are also required to read the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) consent forms (HFEA CD form, HFEA WT form and HFEA MT form) in the links below:
Assisted conception, also called fertility treatment, is a term used to describe the methods available to help couples become pregnant when they have difficulty conceiving.
Approximately 1 in 6 couples find it hard to become pregnant in the UK.
There can be a number of reasons, or combinations of reasons, why a couple might need assistance to become pregnant:
We offer a range of fertility treatments including:
We recognise that these treatments can be very demanding and stressful for couples. A counselling service is available to provide the necessary emotional support during, before and after your treatment. We aim to empower you by explaining clearly the steps of your treatment process.
Each couple is given an individualised plan of care to maximise their chances of pregnancy in a safe and effective way.
Each treatment cycle can vary from 4-8 weeks and it may not necessarily synchronise with the female menstrual cycle.
Different couples could have different drug regimes and the number of embryos replaced through a treatment cycle may also vary between patients.
We accept referrals for heterosexual or same-sex couples, single women and individuals with concerns about their fertility. Referral should be made by your doctor or hospital consultant.
When you are referred, we ask you to complete a proforma which allows us to determine whether or not you are eligible for NHS tests and treatment. This depends on several factors, including your length of stay in the UK, relationship status, age, previous treatment and previous children, if any.
Unfortunately this means that, even if you are referred to our clinic, you may not be eligible for tests or treatment.
When you are referred, we ask you to complete a proforma which allows us to determine whether or note you are eligible for NHS tests and treatment.
We cannot tell you this until your consultation appointment, when your assessment is complete. Eligibility criteria for NHS-funded assisted conception treatment are determined by your consultation appointment, when your assessment is complete. Eligibility criteria for NHS-funded assisted conception treatment are determined by your Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) and differ from one area to another. In order to determine whether you are eligible for NHS-funded treatment, we need to assess factors such as your age, weight, lifestyle, existing children and the number of previous fertility treatments you have received. NHS funded treatment can only be offered if you meet all the criteria laid down by your CCG. If you wish to know the exact details of the criteria in your area please contact your GP or CCG. Please note that we do not have the authority to provide NHS-funded treatment to couples who do not meet the criteria laid down by the CCG.
If you are not eligible for NHS-funded assisted conception treatment, we may be able to offer you some investigations and expert advice on your options. We also offer a fee-paying service for patients who are not eligible for NHS funding.
We have a large team of doctors (consultants and clinical fellows), embryologists, andrologists, nurses, counsellors and administrative staff working together to deliver the highest quality of care. You will come into contact with different members of the team during different parts of your treatment.
The department of Reproductive Medicine and the Andrology Unit are located in the old Saint Mary’s Hospital building. There is a dedicated entrance on Oxford Road, opposite Whitworth Park. Disabled access is available via Hathersage Road or York Place Entrance. Access cannot be gained via the new Saint Mary’s Hospital building.
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA), which is the licensing body in the UK for assisted conception treatment, publishes details of success rates for each provider in the UK.
You can read more about success rates here by searching Saint Mary’s Hospital to see our results.
You need to be referred by your GP or Consultant Gynaecologist.
We also offer a fee-paying service for those who are ineligible for NHS funding, such as if you already have a child, or if you have reached the quota of funded cycles offered by your CCG.
(0161) 276 6000
Option 1 – Recurrent miscarriage, Endometriosis, Reproductive Endocrine or Menopause Service
Option 2 – To start a fertility treatment cycle and to request treatment
Option 3 – In a fertility treatment cycle and wish to speak to an Embryologist
Option 4 – To speak to the Fee Paying Coordinator
Option 5 – In a fertility treatment cycle and need to speak to nurses about your ongoing treatment
Option 6 – General Enquiries in relation to Infertility, Andrology, Fertility Preservation & Assisted Conception (IVF)
If you have any comments/complaints or any other feedback about the service provided, please click here.
Alternatively, the Patient Advice and Liaison Service (PALS) team are available. Whether you are a patient, a relative, friend or carer, they will listen to your concerns, help make your voice heard and liaise with the relevant staff to sort out any problems quickly. They also give a voice to patients’ issues, help to identify gaps in services and report to the Trust Board. You can contact them by emailing pals@mft.nhs.uk.
The Saint Mary’s Hospital IVF unit is active in research aiming to improve the success rate and safety of fertility treatment and you may be approached to participate in research studies during your treatment here. We are constantly striving to improve IVF results by introducing new techniques and increasing scientific knowledge of fertilisation and embryo development. The success rate of IVF is continually improving as a result of on-going research.
We have Research Nurses and a variety of scientific staff. Professor Roger Sturmey is responsible for the research studies in this department. Our research studies are HFEA approved & licensed and we hold the longest HFEA license, as well as being one of the top academic and research active units within the UK.
A number of studies require couples to donate their sperm, egg or embryos which are unsuitable for their treatment, and would otherwise be discarded to research, whilst other studies are looking to improve clinical treatment. The research is completely voluntary and clinical care is not affected by your decision to participate in research or not. This means that you can decide whether or not to take part in the research, and your treatment will not be affected by your decision.
Our first ever HFEA dashboard is now available on our website. Our dashboard gives users the opportunity to explore HFEA data and find statistics on their own areas of interest and is part of our commitment to improving transparency and accessibility in the data we collect from clinics.
See here for a video to show how to navigate the dashboard.
The HFEA dashboard is produced from data collected from licensed fertility clinics in the UK and covers the period from 1991-2021, where data is available.
You can find out more and access the dashboard here.
