Nearly half of the Jersey IVF funding allocation went unused last year, prompting renewed calls for reform of the island’s fertility support scheme. Of the £620,000 set aside by the government, around £280,000 was not spent, according to Deputy Lucy Stephenson.

The deputy is now urging the government to carry the unspent the Jersey IVF funding into the current year’s budget so that more families facing infertility can receive support. She argues that the current eligibility criteria are overly restrictive and have contributed directly to the underspend.

She says, “I get contacted nearly every week by somebody saying they can't access the funding but really want to. “I hear of people who are having to get into debt to pay for IVF treatment themselves because they don't qualify under current criteria.”

Eligibility rules were updated in October 2025 to allow same-sex female couples and couples with children from previous relationships to apply. Under the current system, the government funds up to three cycles of IVF for women under 40, subject to means testing. One cycle is funded for women aged 40 to 42 if medical tests indicate they are likely to respond to treatment.

Despite these changes, Deputy Stephenson says many families still fall outside the criteria, even though funding remains available. She says: “I think its a huge shame that there's a pot of money sat there unspent in the past year.

“I want to see next year's budget protected to ensure it doesn't get any smaller. “I also want the underspend from last year to be added to the budget for this year to allow the criteria to be widened, but with a safety net.” She adds, “I do appreciate that the government is worried they could have a huge influx of people wanting to access treatment they then can't afford.”

The deputy is also calling for better local data collection to understand demand for IVF treatment in Jersey, noting that no detailed modelling has previously been carried out on the island.

She explains, “It’s starting with the basics, seeing the demand for IVF treatment [and] I know they are starting to collect that now. “We can then create our own models for Jersey about what the future demand might look like, to make sure we have an appropriate budget.”

In written responses provided to Deputy Stephenson in July last year, the Health Minister confirmed that only 10% of the annual IVF budget had been spent in the first six months of the year. The same response noted that 43 Islanders were refused funding because they did not meet eligibility requirements.

Deputy Stephenson says, “It's a worry to overpromise to people and not be able to fund it. When you have the evidence, that’s when you need to start listening and doing something about it.”