Payments to fertility treatment egg donors should be higher

The chair of the British Fertility Society has said that women who donate their eggs should be paid £1,500 rather than the current limit of £250.

Dr Tony Rutherford believes that this new figure would be a better reflection of the rigorous treatment donating women are required to undergo, could encourage more donors at a time of chronic shortage, and would provide a more equitable balance.

The organisation is starting a public consultation in January to look at compensation issues, and will consider inter-family donation, and whether donated eggs or sperm from any one donor should be allowed to create more than the current limit of ten families.

Sheena Young, of the Infertility Network, has said that there “is no doubt that the current limit on expenses egg donors claim does not accurately reflect the physical effort and time that women go through to donate their eggs.”

She added that as well as increased payment, campaigns to promote donation must be pursued.

You can read the full story in the Guardian.