About our fertility and reproductive medicine service

This service is for people who want to have a baby, but cannot, for a variety of reasons.

We offer routine investigations to identify the cause of subfertility. Accordingly the couple will be referred to Tertiary Fertility Centres for management.

Please note: We do not perform OI (Ovulation induction), IUI (intrauterine insemination), IVF (In vitro fertilization) or ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) at North Mid.

Throughout your fertility investigations, you will be supported by our expert team of doctors and our experienced specialist nurse.

How to prepare for your visit

At your first appointment you will be seen by our nurse specialist, who will review the investigations you have completed with your GP, and ensure all outstanding blood tests and scans are requested.

Once the investigations are complete and the results available, you will receive an appointment to see the consultant or one of the team. They will review the tests, recommend a course of treatment and refer you to the IVF centre if the criteria for treatment are met.

Refer a patient

GPs should refer anyone seeking a pregnancy but unable to conceive. If there is a known reason for subfertility (such as a known low sperm count; previous surgery to the fallopian tubes on both sides; anovulation – irregular infrequent periods >5 weeks apart, or known severe endometriosis) they should be referred withoutdelay. If no cause for subfertility has yet been identified, they should be referred after trying to conceive without success for one year (if the woman is older than 36 years they may be referred to commence investigation after 6 months).

Note that the NHS poses limitations on who may access assisted reproduction treatments. Couples who already have a living child together are excluded. There are also a variety of clinical grounds that lessen the chance of success or increase the risk of complications – woman’s age over 42, body mass index over 30 kg/m^2, diminished ovarian reserve. The precise exclusion criteria however vary according to your local Clinical Commissioning Group – please see the individual CCG website for guidance on their specific criteria.

We are happy to review patients who fall outside these criteria in the reproductive medicine clinic to organize their investigations and counsel regarding possible next steps. However, we do not offer any treatment. Single women, or women in a same-sex couple can be referred, and we will see them to arrange their baseline investigations and then will be referred to another provider for their treatment.

Meet our team

  • Miss Ansam Al-Habib – consultant gynaecologist and fertility lead
  • Afeeza Illahibuccus – specialist nurse in fertility and endometriosis

New fertility policy for North Central London

From Monday 25 July 2022, a new fertility policy will be implemented across North Central London, replacing the five separate policies that were in place for each borough. The North Central London Integrated Care Board (ICB) (formerly North Central London CCG) recognises that access to NHS-funded specialist fertility treatment is an important issue for many of its residents.

Under the new policy, anyone living in Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey or Islington, who is concerned about their ability to get pregnant and meets certain criteria, can expect to benefit from:

  • fairer access to specialist fertility treatments across all five boroughs
  • greater clarity and consistency about which specialist fertility treatments are NHS-funded in north central London and who is eligible
  • an increased number of in vitro fertilisation (IVF) cycles available to eligible people trying to conceive who are aged under 40 in four boroughs and the same provision in the other borough
  • funding of up to six cycles of intrauterine insemination (IUI) for eligible female same sex couples, single women, and other couples trying to conceive through artificial insemination who have not conceived after six self-funded cycles of IUI.

The new policy was developed using a robust approach, based on evidence and advice from healthcare professionals and a range of stakeholders and engagement with residents.

If you are already undergoing or have already been referred for NHS-funded fertility treatment, you will not be disadvantaged by the new policy. You can view some frequently asked questions, which cover some common scenarios. The ICB has also developed an information leaflet for people or couples living in north central London who are worried about their ability to get pregnant. Please speak to your treating clinician if you have any questions about your ongoing care and treatment or contact the policy development team at nclccg.fertility1@nhs.net.

Residents who have recently completed treatment under the previous policy for their borough may be eligible for further treatment under the new policy. Please speak to your GP for more information.

Visit the ICB’s fertility services pages for information about the assisted conception treatments available funded by the NHS in north central London, eligibility criteria and helpful resources. 

If you are concerned about your fertility, please contact your GP for advice.