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Surrogacy
- Inclusive pathways to parenthood
- The UK's largest private IVF unit
- Before you start your family, visit ours
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Surrogacy at HCA UK
Why choose us?
We understand that surrogacy is both an emotional and life-changing experience. That's why we provide a compassionate and professional service tailored to your unique situation. From the first consultation to bringing your baby home, we're here to ensure your journey is as smooth as possible.
No two surrogacy journeys are the same. If you're considering surrogacy as a route to parenthood, we're here to take the time to listen to your needs and preferences so we can match you with the right surrogate.
Surrogacy is carrying and giving birth to a baby for another person or couple who are unable to conceive or carry a child themselves. At HCA UK, we offer full surrogacy, also known as host or gestational surrogacy.
This uses an intended mother's own eggs or eggs from a donor. Embryos are created using in vitro fertilisation (IVF) with sperm from a male partner or a sperm donor. An embryo is then transferred to the surrogate's womb.
You can choose either donated sperm or donated eggs to ensure a genetic connection to at least one parent. With full surrogacy, your baby will have a biological link to you or your partner, while the surrogate has no genetic connection.
There are many reasons why an individual or couple may consider surrogacy, such as:
- You've had several failed IVF treatment cycles (implantation failure )
- You've experienced several miscarriages
- You have a medical condition that makes carrying a pregnancy high-risk
- You weren't born with a womb or you've had surgery to remove your womb (a hysterectomy )
- You've had a premature menopause
- You are in a male, same-sex couple
Often, a friend or family member may act as a surrogate. It can be a good option to use someone that you know and trust. In the UK, there are certain legal restrictions that prevent fertility clinics from finding or organising surrogates.
This means you will need to organise this yourself. It's important that you get to know your surrogate and that, together, you put a surrogacy agreement in place. There are several organisations that can help find a surrogate and organise a surrogacy agreement you can find more information about this in our FAQ section.
The chance of surrogacy being successful depends on several different factors. These include:
- The age of the woman whose eggs are being used
- The quality of the sperm being used
- Your surrogate's ability to get pregnant
- The usual success rate of the treatment you're having
Your consultant will take the time to clearly explain the success rates of surrogacy, discuss any concerns and recommend a tailored treatment plan.
In the UK, the person who gives birth to a child (the surrogate) is automatically the legal parent. This is the case even if the child was created from your or your partner's eggs or sperm. But you can get a parental order to change this.
A parental order can make you and your partner the legal parents of the child. It's essential that one or both of you are genetically related to the child to become a legal parent.
Once you have a parental order in place, your surrogate will not have any legal rights regarding your child. This is a complex area, so it's essential that you get advice before you decide on surrogacy as an option.
22,000+
babies born with us
17
dedicated fertility consultants
35+
years with a history of success
Next-day appointments
See a specialist in as little as 24 hours
State-of-the-art diagnostics
With results in as little as 48 hours
Multidisciplinary teams
Expert treatment with specialist care for complex care
The surrogacy process
What to expect
From the moment you step through the door, until the time you're ready to leave, we want you to feel as comfortable as possible with us, every step of the way.
If you have any questions that aren't covered here, or in the FAQ section below, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Our team will be happy to help in any way they can.
01
Initial consultation
You'll have an initial consultation at the clinic to talk through your options and decide whether surrogacy is right for you. We'll explain what happens during the surrogacy process, including the screening tests, investigations and treatments involved. At this initial appointment, you'll see a doctor, a fertility counsellor and a dedicated surrogacy nurse.
02
Tests and investigations
There are many complex ethical, legal and social implications of going through surrogacy that you'll need to consider. We'll go through this with you before you decide whether to proceed with treatment. Your specialist will arrange a series of screening tests, and your surrogate will get the same dedicated specialist support as you.
03
Follow-up appointment
After your tests and scans, you'll have a follow-up appointment with your fertility specialist to discuss your results. They'll explain the findings clearly to make sure you understand your fertility health and the options available to you.
04
IVF treatment
If you're using your own eggs, you'll need to go through the initial steps of IVF treatment. This includes taking fertility drugs and egg collection. A sperm sample will be collected to fertilise the eggs (this can be frozen if waiting for an egg donor). One or two of the best-quality fertilised eggs, now embryos, will be selected for transfer to your surrogate.
05
Transfer to surrogate
Your surrogate will have a simple, painless procedure to transfer the embryo to their womb. Sometimes, two embryos may be transferred. A pregnancy test can usually be carried out around 14 days following the embryo transfer.
Where can I access surrogacy treatment?
Across our extensive network of hospitals and treatment centres, we have dozens of industry-leading fertility experts who can help you, from initial consultation to treatment and next steps.
Lister Fertility Clinic
Chelsea Bridge Road SW1W 8RH London
Lister Fertility Clinic at The Portland Hospital
First Floor 215 Great Portland Street W1W 5PN London
Lister Fertility Clinic at The Beaconsfield Clinic
Little Hall Barn Windsor End, Beaconsfield HP9 2JW Buckinghamshire
Lister Fertility Clinic at The Shard
The Shard Outpatients St Thomas Street SE1 9BS London
Accessing private health care
Self-pay
You don’t need health insurance to be seen quickly. If you’re looking for treatment and don’t want to wait, all of our fertility treatments can be paid for as and when you need them.
And to give you peace of mind from the start, we’ll provide you with a clear and transparent quote outlining exactly what’s included in your self-pay package.
Surrogacy FAQs
The cost of surrogacy will differ depending on your own individual circumstances. This includes things like whether you are planning surrogacy as a couple or a single person and whether you need donor eggs or donor sperm. We offer several different surrogacy pathways, and you can find the costs on our price list.
You and your surrogate will see the counsellor separately as well as together to discuss all the different ethical, legal and social aspects of going through surrogacy. Our counsellors are also here for continuous support at any point before, during and after your treatment for you and your surrogate. In addition to our counselling team, we recommend the following organisations for extra support:
While our fertility specialists will try to see you as soon as possible, appointments are generally available within a few weeks. Find a surrogacy specialist to see their next available appointments.
We realise that undergoing any fertility testing and treatment is a personal process, and we want you to feel as comfortable as possible. You can search our fertility specialists, select your consultant and arrange your initial appointment with them.
We know that undertaking fertility treatment can be challenging, and part of that is understanding the potential costs involved. We try hard to ensure our fees are as transparent and simple to understand as possible.
Before you start your treatment, you should receive a clear, costed treatment plan so you begin your journey knowing what your treatment should cost. The cost will depend on your treatment plan, but you can view our price list to gain a clearer understanding.
As required for a clinic that is subject to regular Human Fertilisation and Embryo Authority (HFEA) inspection, the laboratory meets the highest standards for quality, safety and patient care. At HCA UK, we're proud to hold a 5/5 HFEA rating across our fertility clinics.
Our patients' fertility stories
How Lister Fertility Clinic helped two fathers-to-be
Paul is sitting in his home in Belfast, with his husband Neil and their beautiful three-month-old son Felix, talking about their journey to fatherhood – a journey that the Lister Fertility Clinic, part of HCA Healthcare UK, accompanied them on.
Clare’s fertility treatment
Clare and her husband Derek thought they might never have children, until joining the egg-sharing programme at the Lister Fertility Clinic.
Alice and Aaron's fertility treatment
After being told they’d never have children, Alice and Aaron turned to the Lister Fertility Clinic. They now have a beautiful two-year-old daughter.
“We provide an inclusive and safe environment for all our patients, ensuring their peace of mind during every step of the journey.”
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This content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.