‘I have seen the real struggle of fertility’: Health Minister investigates free IVF for Qld couples

With one in six couples having trouble conceiving a child, Queensland’s new Health Minister has revealed she is investigating a game-changing move.

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Free IVF services in Queensland’s public system is on the radar of Health Minister Shannon Fentiman.

With one in six couples having trouble conceiving, the Minster has revealed that she wants to look into how public fertility services were recently introduced in Victoria.

“As Minister for Women and for Health one of my key priorities is to release a Women’s Health Strategy for Queensland and I am very interested in looking at Victoria’s decision late last year to offer public IVF services,” Ms Fentiman said.

The interstate pioneering service is open to residents who hold a Medicare card and meet clinical criteria. Patients are referred by their GP or a relevant specialist.

With a round of IVF in private clinics costing as much as $9000, the Minister told The Sunday Mail that the costs are unaffordable for many who have to resign themselves to never having a child.

“I am very well aware that for many couples, who are having fertility problems, paying for private services is out of reach and these couples are very much on my radar,” she said.

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman is investigating how the public fertility system works in Victoria. Picture: Liam Kidston

To be eligible for the Victorian service patients must be state residents, hold a Medicare card and meet clinical criteria.

Couples who go through multiple rounds of IVF at private clinics can spend over $100,000 to have a baby.

The Royal Women’s Hospital and Monash Health have partnered to provide the Victorian services.

The project is being rolled out in phases starting with a limited number of patients.

Once fully implemented, public fertility care services will include in vitro fertilisation (IVF), fertility preservation, genetic testing, donor and surrogacy services – including Australia’s first public sperm and egg bank and a range of other assisted reproductive treatments, counselling, information and support.

“I have had many women around me who have faced fertility problems and I have seen that it is a real struggle,” Ms Fentiman said.

Currently there are cut-price fertility services available to Queenslanders.

First Step Fertility, the budget branch of City Fertility offers IVF at a fraction of full cost.

The demand from couples who are on a budget continues to soar. There was a 203 per cent growth in IVF cycles at First Step Fertility from 2019 to 2021.