FOI2026/1835

Could you please provide the following data regarding NHS-funded egg freezing and fertility preservation treatments within the care board over the last three available financial years or calendar years (whichever is easiest).

Specifically, I would like to request:

1. Total Number of Patients: The total number of patients who had egg freezing cycles funded by the NHS, broken down by year.

2. Demographic Breakdown: Of those funded patients, the number who received funding under the category of gender-affirming care (transgender men and non-binary individuals) versus those who received funding for other medical reasons (such as oncology or other benign medical conditions affecting cisgender women).

3. Total Financial Spend: The total financial expenditure by the organization on these funded fertility preservation cycles, broken down by year and, if possible, by the categories mentioned in question 2.

4. (Only if possible / costs allow:) Referral Success Rates: The total number of funding requests (Individual Funding Requests or standard pathway referrals) received for egg freezing for gender-affirming care versus other medical conditions, alongside the number of these requests that were approved and rejected.

If any of this data is withheld due to small patient numbers (to protect patient anonymity under Section 40 of the FOI Act), please provide the figures rounded to the nearest five, or indicate that the figure is “fewer than five” rather than withholding the data entirely. If you require any clarification on this request, please let me know. I look forward to receiving your response within the statutory 20 working days.

1. NHS GM does not hold this information. Therefore, it will be necessary for you to contact the commissioned providers directly for the information you seek. To assist you please find below links to their websites.

Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust – Freedom of Information – Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (mft.nhs.uk)

Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust – WWL Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust | FOI Disclosure Log

Fertility Treatments & IVF Specialists UK | CREATE Fertility

Contact Our Expert Team – Get In Touch | Care Fertility

2. Please refer to the response to question 1.
3. The ICB only centrally holds activity and spend data from 1st April 2023 onwards for all IVF providers and holds no activity data prior to its establishment in the financial year of 2022/23. Prior to 2023/24 backing data was held separately and in different formats, meaning consistent data is not available. Since then, activity and spend is recorded based on NHS financial years which run from April to March the annual spend is broken down by NHS financial year.

Due to delays in receiving backing data from non-NHS providers their included annual spend for 2025/26 is based on a forecast derived from activity seen April 2025 – September 2025.

4. Please refer to the response to question 1.