| Aberdeen Assisted Reproduction Unit | | | 1. Are you a treatment or a donor centre? | We recruit donors and treat. | | 2. Has there been a reduction or increase in the number of egg and sperm donations since the law came into force in April 2005? | The reduction in donor interest started a few years ago when removal of anonymity was first discussed. The uncertainty of what was happening was a problem and as things have become clearer we are getting more interest again. | | 3. Has there been a change in the profile of donors since the new law? | No change in egg donor profile. For sperm donors the trend is for fewer students and more older men who have had their own families and are donating to help other couples and not to earn money. | | 4. Has there been an increase or decrease in the quantity of sperm and egg donations available to the clinic? | Due to uncertainty over the anonymity law we only had six egg donors in 2004. Previously it was 12-16 a year. Due to us only having a small number of sperm donors recruited in Aberdeen, we have had to rely increasingly on buying in sperm from other centres. | | 5. Has there been an increase or decrease in the price that patients pay for cycles and if so, by how much? | The price of buying sperm has increased. This treatment is funded by the NHS so patients are not charged. | | 6. Are waiting times now longer for patients? | For the first time we had to start a waiting list for treatment using donor sperm at the end of last year and we are now unable to offer any treatment until supplies become available. Waiting time unknown. | | 7. Has it still been possible to match the hair/eye colour of donors and recipients? | If patients wish matching of characteristics they may need to wait longer for treatment. | |
| Edinburgh Fertility Centre | | | 1. Are you a treatment or a donor centre? | Both. We recruit donors but currently no volunteers. | | 2. Has there been a reduction or increase in the number of egg and sperm donations since the law came into force in April 2005? | No new donations since April 2005. | | 3. Has there been a change in the profile of donors since the new law? | Total absence. | | 4. Has there been an increase or decrease in the quantity of sperm and egg donations available to the clinic? | Yes. We have been buying in from other centres like London. Very limited supplies and clinics are holding onto stocks. | | 5. Has there been an increase or decrease in the price that patients pay for cycles and if so, by how much? | So far, no. You are not allowed to charge for sperm. All patients did pay was the price of sperm collection and distribution - about �100. | | 6. Are waiting times now longer for patients? | We are now turning patients away. Since 2005 there have been between 30 and 40 patients we have been unable to treat. The worry is that patients will try to make their own arrangements or go overseas where there are fewer regulations. | | 7. Has it still been possible to match the hair/eye colour of donors and recipients? | No. | |
| Glasgow Nuffield Hospital | | | 1. Are you a treatment or a donor centre? | We are presently setting up our own donor sperm recruitment clinic. | | 2. Has there been a reduction or increase in the number of egg and sperm donations since the law came into force in April 2005? | We currently purchase donor sperm from other centres and, as everywhere in the UK, there is a shortage. | | 3. Has there been a change in the profile of donors since the new law? | N/A | | 4. Has there been an increase or decrease in the quantity of sperm and egg donations available to the clinic? | As above. | | 5. Has there been an increase or decrease in the price that patients pay for cycles and if so, by how much? | Yes, there has been an increase in the price, it costs approximately �70-�80 more per cycle. | | 6. Are waiting times now longer for patients? | Yes, waiting times are longer since the law has changed. | | 7. Has it still been possible to match the hair/eye colour of donors and recipients? | Yes, as much as possible we try to match. | |
| Glasgow Royal Infirmary | | | 1. Are you a treatment or a donor centre? | Glasgow is a treatment centre only. | | 2. Has there been a reduction or increase in the number of egg and sperm donations since the law came into force in April 2005? | N/A | | 3. Has there been a change in the profile of donors since the new law? | N/A | | 4. Has there been an increase or decrease in the quantity of sperm and egg donations available to the clinic? | We currently have a supply of sperm but will be monitoring the situation over the following months. | | 5. Has there been an increase or decrease in the price that patients pay for cycles and if so, by how much? | There has been an increase in the cost of buying sperm but not significantly. | | 6. Are waiting times now longer for patients? | No change in waiting times for patients. | | 7. Has it still been possible to match the hair/eye colour of donors and recipients? | Our policy for matching donors to recipients remains the same. | |
| Ninewells ACU, Dundee | | | 1. Are you a treatment or a donor centre? | Donor recruitment centre. There has been a reduction in donations since 1995. We only recruited one sperm donor and two egg donors last year. This has been the trend for the past few years, since the removal of anonymity was first suggested. | | 2. Has there been a reduction or increase in the number of egg and sperm donations since the law came into force in April 2005? | Since the new law there has been an increase in named donors as opposed to altruistic donors. | | 3. Has there been a change in the profile of donors since the new law? | The number of treatments using donor eggs has decreased from 19 in 2000 to six in 2005. The number of treatments using donor sperm decreased from 100 in 2004 to 60 in 2005. | | 4. Has there been an increase or decrease in the quantity of sperm and egg donations available to the clinic? | We have had to buy in sperm samples from another clinic and this cost has had to be passed on to the patient. | | 5. Has there been an increase or decrease in the price that patients pay for cycles and if so, by how much? | As above. | | 6. Are waiting times now longer for patients? | Waiting times for egg donation treatment have increased to at least five years from two years. The waiting time for treatment using donated sperm has also increased. This used to be only a few months and now patients are on a list awaiting a donor. This could be at least a year. | | 7. Has it still been possible to match the hair/eye colour of donors and recipients? | We try to match hair/eye colour as far as possible. | |
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