Clinics set to pay £250 for sperm and egg donations

Published on Friday 7 October 2005 14:10

SPERM and egg donors are set to be paid up to £250 in a bid to boost donations.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority has recommended the increase as donor numbers continue to fall.

Donations have decreased since changes to UK law earlier this year removed anonymity for donors.

In the Lothians, it has led to waits of up to two years for couples seeking IVF treatment at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.

Donors are currently paid 15 per donation plus "reasonable expenses", but a public consultation this year showed many thought this was too little.

The proposal now is that from next year donors would be paid up to 250 to compensate for loss of earnings. Edinburgh fertility experts today welcomed the increase but said more needed to be done to attract donors.

An HFEA spokesman said the recommendations were aimed at making it as easy and straightforward as possible for people to come forward and donate.

He said he did not believe the money would act as an incentive for donors. "People should neither lose out nor profit from donation," he said.

Sheena Young, the Scottish head of the Infertility Network UK, said it was one obstacle less to recruiting more donors.

But she said that a much more comprehensive recruitment campaign was needed, adding:

"We need to make sure people can give donations within a reasonable distance of where they live. We need more clinics, more resources and to nurture donors and be more mindful of their needs."

The HFEA said it wanted to preserve the principle that donations for fertility treatment were given out of altruism rather than to make money. The 250 figure is lower than the 1000 the HFEA first mooted for egg donors when it announced a consultation on the issue last November.

Opinions were sought on the European Union Tissue and Cells Directive which says all sperm and egg donation should not be for financial gain. The HFEA and fertility charities agree with the broad principle, but say altruistic donors should not be left out of pocket.

The HFEA has recommended donors should be compensated for loss of earnings, setting the same daily maximum as that paid to people on jury service - 55.19.

And it said there should be an overall maximum of 250 for each cycle of egg donation or course of sperm donation. It also proposed donors may receive benefits in kind, so for example women who donate their eggs could be entitled to discounted IVF treatment.

Laura Witjens, chairwoman of the National Gamete Donation Trust, said: "We are glad the HFEA has listened to our arguments. The vast majority of donors are losing money. We are quite happy with the 250 amount."