Half-price IVF treatment for egg donors

Women in the north of England are to be offered half price IVF treatment in return for an egg donation.

The scheme in Newcastle is being funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC) and will see about half of the patient's IVF treatment cost, £1,500, paid for. The eggs will be used for nuclear re-programming, a field of stem cell research, also known as therapeutic cloning.

Those using the cells, a team from the North East England Stem Cell Institute (NESCI), hope an increase in the number of eggs for research will lead to faster progress in stem cell therapies.

Professor Alison Murdoch, Head of Department at the Newcastle Fertility Centre at Life, said: "I'm delighted at the MRC funding which allows us to recompense women who wish to donate eggs for their time and trouble.

"This will ease the financial burden for women who require IVF. There is no additional physical risk to the woman as a result of egg sharing.

"Of course, all potential donors who come to Newcastle will be thoroughly counselled to ensure they understand the full implications of the procedure for egg sharing. We expect this to open the door to some infertile women who may now find it less difficult to meet the cost of IVF," she added.