FAQs

Essential Fertility offers a selection of affordable fertility and preservation treatments. Developed by leading fertility specialists Manchester Fertility, Essential Fertility provides a compassionate approach to patient care, overall experience, cutting-edge technology, and a specialist team. We offer comprehensive low-cost packages without compromising patient care.

Currently, Essential Fertility offers Essential IVF, Essential ICSI and Essential Egg Freezing. Our Essential IVF & ICSI treatment is available with donor sperm.  

• Essential IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation): 

IVF (In-Vitro Fertilisation) is a treatment for fertility problems. The technique occurs outside the body, where eggs are collected from a woman's ovaries and fertilised with sperm in an embryology laboratory to create embryos. The fertilised eggs (embryos) will develop in our specialised incubators for up to five days. The strongest embryo is selected to be transferred back to a woman's uterus to develop.

• Essential ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection):

For couples where male factor infertility is present, Essential IVF with ICSI will be performed. ICSI is a fertilisation technique used in IVF which involves injecting a single healthy sperm into each mature egg to maximise the chance of fertilisation in couples. ICSI is the most common treatment for male fertility problems as the sperm directly fertilises the eggs. Therefore, issues with sperm motility (movement), sperm morphology (shape), or number (low sperm count) can be overcome, giving men with sperm problems a chance to become fathers. 

• Essential Egg Freezing: 

Our all-inclusive package for egg freezing is a perfect way for women to protect their future fertility by freezing eggs at a more affordable cost. For women who want to have a baby but are unable to try for one at this time, Essential Egg Freezing allows them to freeze their eggs while they are younger when their ovarian reserve is higher and egg quality is better. It involves cryopreserving eggs using vitrification (fast freezing).

Essential Fertility gives our patients access to quality, fertility treatments that otherwise may not be affordable. Our treatments are available for heterosexual couples, same-sex female couples, and single women who meet our criteria. 

To qualify for our Essential IVF & ICSI, we ask that the female patient undergoing treatment is: -

• 37 years old or under
• Has a BMI between 18-32
• Has an AMH between 10 - 35

To qualify for Essential Egg Freezing, we ask the patient is: -

• Under 35 years old
• Has a BMI between 18-32
• Has an AMH of 10-35

Patients who meet our eligibility criteria for each treatment type will qualify for Essential. However, in today's economic climate, it may be especially appealing for those not eligible for, cannot access, or have been waiting a long time for IVF treatment on the NHS.

If you do not meet the criteria for Essential Fertility treatments our fertility experts will explain all the options available and recommend the best treatment pathway for you.

Here at Essential Fertility, we are proud to have one of the most experienced fertility teams in the UK. Rest assured, your treatment will be carried out by experienced and senior fertility nurses and doctors who will display compassion and understanding throughout your journey.

During your fertility journey, you will have support and expertise from many other specialists throughout our clinic. From patient advisors, nurses, and consultants to embryologists, counsellors, sonographers, and midwives – you will have an expert team behind you through every step of your journey. 

To ensure we provide the best possible experience for our patients, we have state-of-the-art facilities in South Manchester, accessible by car, train, and plane, a stone’s throw away from Manchester Airport. At our clinic, everything from the reception areas to our consulting and treatment rooms on our dedicated ward offers comfort and relaxation during your treatment visits.

Your treatment will happen in one place; you will not be asked to visit multiple sites for treatment.

There are fertility tests you may need to have to see if you qualify for Essential Fertility treatments and tests that you may need before treatment begins these can be conducted at one of our local testing locations. They include: -

• AMH test - we will need this to see if you qualify for Essential Fertility treatments. If you have recently had the test elsewhere we can review them before treatment.
• Semen analysis (where required). If you have recently had the tests we can review them for treatment.
• Pelvic Ultrasound Scan - we perform a transvaginal ultrasound scan of your womb and ovaries to check for anything that could affect conception and embryo implantation.
• Screening tests (depending on treatment) including: 
  • Hepatitis B/SAg/Core
  • Hepatitis C Abs
  • HIV 1&2 / P24 Antigen
  • Full Blood Count
  • Rubella
  • Syphilis IgG/IgM
  • Chlamydia

If you require fertility tests to see if you qualify for Essential Fertility treatment, payment will be due within a week of booking these tests.  Treatment costs are required following your fertility nurse consultation.

There are many reasons to choose Essential Fertility over another low-cost IVF clinic. First and foremost, you will receive the most compassionate patient care from a highly experienced team of fertility specialists.  Other reasons include:

• Experienced & Trusted Clinic: Essential Fertility offers affordable treatments by leading UK clinic, Manchester Fertility. 

• Affordable, Quality Fertility Treatments: Essential Fertility offers high-quality fertility and preservation treatments at affordable prices. 

• No Hidden Extras: Clinics display treatment costs differently, which can be confusing when comparing fertility treatment prices. Essential Fertility is transparent and honest.

• Inclusive Treatment Packages: Treatment 'add-ons' can dramatically increase the overall cost of fertility treatment. Our Essential IVF treatments include many additional aspects that may contribute to your success free of charge.

• Excellent Patient Care: Essential Fertility treatments are backed up with award-winning excellent patient care. 

• Alternative to NHS IVF:  If you are waiting for NHS-funded IVF to begin, Essential IVF may be an option for you to explore if the NHS waiting time is prolonged.

• Excellent Success Rates: We have excellent success rates helping patients' realise their dream of having a family. 

• Regulated by HFEA:  Essential Fertility by Manchester Fertility is regulated by the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority (HFEA). 

• State-of-the-Art Clinic: We have a state-of-the-art clinic in South Manchester, accessible by car, train, and plane, a stone's throw away from Manchester Airport. 

Your Essential Fertility journey can start with just five simple steps.

1. Your Essential journey starts by checking your eligibility via our website.
2. You will then speak to one of our friendly, knowledgeable New Patient Coordinators, who can answer any initial questions, outline the costs of treatment, and discuss the available treatments with you.
3. Our team will arrange your initial appointments at a convenient time for you. These will include fertility tests to check if you are eligible for treatment. The tests can be carried out at any of our centres across the UK.
4. You will then attend a consultation with one of our experienced senior fertility nurses to discuss your test results and plan your treatment.
5. With the completion of your treatment paperwork you're ready to begin treatment and you'll meet your dedicated patient advisor.

If you meet all the requirements outlined by Essential Fertility but need to delay your treatment, you can resume within six months of your consultation without retaking your initial screening tests, as long as you remain within the age limit upon resuming. If you restart treatment more than six months after your consultation, we require you to undergo and finance these tests again to determine whether you are still eligible to proceed.

You can bring test results from another laboratory, but these must be recent and from a UKAS-accredited laboratory.  Advice if you can use your test results will be given by our New Patient Co-ordinators or Senior Fertility Nurses.

1. Check Eligibility Criteria

Before we can begin your Essential IVF journey, you will need to check your eligibility via our website or by calling our New Patient Coordinator team. If you need tests to see if you meet our eligibility criteria, your New Patient Coordinator will arrange these. Female tests include an AMH blood test and pelvic ultrasound, and for a male, this includes a semen analysis.

2. Consultation with a Senior Fertility Nurse

A senior fertility nurse will take a full medical history and discuss the results of your tests so we can personalise your IVF cycle for your best chance of success.

3. Ovarian Stimulation

The first stage of IVF is ovarian stimulation. This involves using tailored doses of fertility drugs to help produce mature eggs.

4. Egg Maturation

A 'trigger' injection of fertility medications is administered to assist with the final maturation of eggs and loosening of the eggs from the follicle walls.

5. Egg Collection

Egg collection takes place in our clinic theatre under ultrasound guidance. Before the egg collection, we provide you with a sedative. The eggs are retrieved from the follicles where they have been growing.

6. Insemination of Eggs

The sperm sample is washed, prepared and added to the eggs.

7. Fertilisation

We monitor your eggs for signs of fertilisation. This usually occurs 16-18 hours after insemination.

8. Embryo Culture

The created embryos are placed in an incubator, where they grow in the lab for the next two to five days. Our embryologists keep you updated on the process of your embryos and advise when your embryo transfer will take place.

9. Embryo Transfer 

Our embryologists will select an embryo, which is transferred under ultrasound guidance into your uterus by our fertility consultants. Embryo replacement will take place in our specially-designed transfer room.

10. Vitrification

Any remaining good-quality embryos that are not transferred are frozen and stored. Frozen embryos can be used in subsequent cycles if the first cycle is not successful or for sibling pregnancy.

11. Pregnancy Test 

You can take a home pregnancy test around two weeks after your embryo transfer. During this time, you will be supported by our clinic midwife. If your test is positive, you will be booked in for your pregnancy confirmation scan at 6-7 weeks of pregnancy.

As an award-winning clinic known for our patient care, we will offer you support in many ways throughout your journey; we know it’s vital that you feel fully informed and supported at an emotional and anxious time.

First and foremost, our excellent, compassionate and experienced team will support you from the moment you contact Essential Fertility. We are lucky to have the best specialists, including patient advisors, fertility nurses, consultants, embryologists, and counsellors.   

We also have a patient app that acts as a personalised calendar displaying all your appointments, medication regime and treatment schedule. The app will also remind you about upcoming appointments, to take medications, ovulation tests and pregnancy tests. Further benefits include an instant messaging function that makes communications easy, quick and discreet and two-way document sharing, such as investigation results and consultation letters.

We also have lots of patient support via our Manchester Fertility Facebook Support Group, which many patients find invaluable during their experience. The private group allows you to connect with other patients experiencing a similar journey. It also provides online support, reassurance and advice and lets you ask questions and share tips with other Manchester Fertility patients. It is a safe space to talk to other patients.
 

Your Essential treatment plan will be arranged with you by a Senior Fertility Nurse, who will advise you on the best date to start your treatment, taking into account your personal and medical history. We will always arrange for your treatment to begin as soon as it is convenient and medically safe.

There are some risks associated with IVF treatment.

• Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome: When ovaries overreact to the fertility drugs needed to produce mature eggs. 
• Multiple pregnancy or birth (twins, triplets or more): If more than one embryo is transferred, there is an increased chance of a multiple pregnancy.
• Ectopic pregnancy: There is a possibility that during embryo transfer, it could travel to the fallopian tube instead.
• Possible birth defects: Further research is still being carried out to substantiate these claims.

Patients should consider these risks, and they will be discussed at your consultation. 

Time off work is a very individual decision, based on how you are feeling. Many of our patients like to take some time off after egg retrieval and after embryo transfer for instance. The best advice is to follow the guidance given by our team about rest periods, activity and your normal routine.

There are lots of factors to consider when choosing a fertility clinic, such as location, cost, success rates and treatments. But things like compassionate staff, transparent pricing, and emotional support matter just as much, according to the HFEA. It is important to take the time to visit a few different clinics to ensure you find a fertility clinic where you are treated like an individual, listened to and made to feel comfortable, right from the start. 
 

Egg Freezing can be offered to women of any age. Although information from HFEA, the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority, does suggest that age can impact the quality and quantity of eggs.
 
At Essential Fertility, we provide this service for patients aged 35 and under, as outlined in our eligibility criteria. If you are over 35, you may still be offered alternative treatment options via Manchester Fertility. 

The Essential Egg Freezing treatment package was developed to ensure high chances of a patient getting sufficient eggs to freeze in a single cycle. If you do  require additional treatment cycles for any reason, your fertility nurse will always discuss your options with you to ensure you are happy to proceed. 

1. Check Eligibility Criteria:

Before we can begin your Essential Egg Freezing journey, you we need to check your eligibility via our website or by calling our New Patient Coordinator team.

2. Initial Investigations, Scans & Counselling*: 

Egg freezing starts with pre-treatment tests to assess your fertility to make sure that egg freezing is right for you. Tests include measuring your ovarian reserve, which indicates the number of eggs in your ovaries and your likely response to the stimulation needed for egg freezing. 

*If you would like to see a counsellor to discuss any egg freezing implications, we will arrange this for you.

3. Consultation with a Senior Fertility Nurse: 

Your fertility consultant will take a full medical history and discuss the results of your tests. We will explain your likely chances of future pregnancy so you can make an informed decision.

4. Consent: 

You will complete consent forms that give your consent for us to collect, freeze and store your eggs. Your consent forms detail how long you wish to store your eggs and what should happen to your eggs if something happens to you.

5. Ovarian Stimulation:

The first stage of IVF is ovarian stimulation. This involves using tailored doses of fertility drugs to help produce mature eggs.

6. Egg Maturation:

A 'trigger' injection of fertility medications administered to assist with the final maturation of eggs and loosening of the eggs from the follicle walls.

7. Egg Collection:

Egg collection takes place in our clinic theatre under ultrasound guidance. Before the egg collection, we provide you with a sedative. The eggs are retrieved from the follicles where they have been growing.

8. Egg Cryopreservation: 

Your eggs are cryopreserved in our laboratory using a technique called vitrification, a special fast-freezing method which ensures high survival rates for frozen eggs. Our Essential Egg Freezing package covers storage costs for one year.

Yes, Essential Egg Freezing starts with pre-treatment tests to assess your ovarian reserve and ensure that egg freezing is right for you. Tests, including an AMH blood test and ultrasound scan to give an indication of the number of eggs in your ovaries, can be conducted at one of our convenient locations across the UK.

The current legal storage limit in the UK is 55 years; however, you will have to renew your consent to store every 10 years.  There is also a £385 storage cost per year, but with our Essential Egg Freezing package, the storage cost is included for the first year.

When you are ready, your eggs will be thawed and fertilised with partner or donor sperm by the ICSI technique.  If you need donor sperm, we can offer you a wide selection of profiles via our sperm bank, Semovo.

UK fertility regulator the HFEA advises that it is always safer to have treatment with donor sperm at a licensed clinic. Using sperm from an unregulated source - such as private online sperm advertisements – for DIY home insemination carries significant risks.

By having donor sperm treatment at a clinic, you can be sure that your sperm donor has been health screened and that his sperm is safe for your use (a clinic will freeze it and place it in quarantine while the donor is retested for infectious diseases).  Treatment at a clinic is also optimised for your best chance of pregnancy, and your sperm donor is just that – he has no legal parental rights over your child.

If you are considering home insemination because of the cost of treatment at a clinic, then Essential IVF & Essential ICSI offer you a low-cost treatment at a significantly reduced cost to standard private treatment.  For more information, visit the HFEA website.

You can contact our New Patient Team to see if you qualify for Essential treatments with donor sperm.

All our sperm donors have undergone rigorous health screening in accordance with professional guidance, which includes tests for:

• Inherited conditions such as Cystic Fibrosis 
• Karyotype for chromosome abnormalities
• Blood-related hereditary conditions 
• HIV 1 and 2
• Hepatitis B and C
• HTLV I and II
• Syphilis
• Gonorrhoea
• Chlamydia
• Cytomegalovirus

Sperm donors are re-screened every three months and again before samples are released from quarantine for use.

All our sperm donors are recruited through our own nationwide sperm donor programme, Semovo. Semovo has sperm banks across the country in Manchester, Liverpool, Leeds, and Glasgow, giving you the most extensive choice of sperm donors for your treatment, from right across the UK.

Although sperm donors and recipient patients are anonymous to each other, you will be given lots of detailed information about your donor. Because we get to know our donors well, we can give you some personal insight as well as the information in your sperm donor’s profile, which includes:

• Physical details: Such as height, weight, hair, eye colour, ethnicity
• Hobbies & career: What your donor likes to do and the job he has
• Pen picture: A personal ‘about me’ written by the donor. This is where your donor will go into detail about his outlook on life, personality, family background, current family life, the type of person he is and why he decided to donate sperm.
• Goodwill message: Your sperm donor also writes a goodwill message to the child you may have, which you can show them someday.

If your treatment is successful you can also find out if your donor has helped anyone else to have a family and if your child has any donor siblings, via the HFEA.

Yes, we allow sperm reservations for future siblings if your treatment is successful. However, this depends on whether your donor has stock available when you are ready to have a sibling. Also, it is important to know that donor sperm has an expiry date of 10 years after it was first stored.

Therefore, if you want to consider your donor for future siblings, let us know so we can advise on stock levels and/or expiry dates for your preferred donor.

We are happy to accept scans from an external source, provided they include your Antral Follicle Count and an assessment of ovarian accessibility for vaginal egg collection, as long as the scans were performed within the last six months.

Initial blood tests, scans, and health checks can all be carried out locally, reducing the need for you to travel to our HFEA regulated clinic in Manchester. You will only need to visit our central treatment hub, for specialist appointments, ensuring a more convenient journey.

Visit our locations page to find out where to start your Essential Fertility journey with initial bloods and scans.

Frozen embryo transfers will be carried out at our HFEA regulated clinic in Manchester.