Unfortunately community NHS Vasectomy services in Northern Ireland have finally been withdrawn. Primary Care Vasectomists have been carrying out Non Scalpel Vasectomies in Carryduff for the past 7 years. It has been hailed as one of the success stories of reforming NHS services in Northern Ireland. . We have carried out thousands of vasectomies with a high success and low complication rate. The team has become extremely experienced at delivering this service.
Earlier this year due to the political stagnation we were warned that the service was under threat. No recurrent funding had been identified to sustain the service and the capacity for providing vasectomies was drastically reduced. In January 2024 we received the news that we have been dreading and the primary care vasectomy service was to be stood down. There are no more clinics planned in Carryduff and community vasectomies will become a thing of the past.
This is extremely disappointing for the clinicians that worked very hard over the past 7 years to become highly skilled in delivering this operation as well as the admin and nursing staff who were integral in providing a high quality service.
Unfortunately the inequality now in contraception services has widened between women and men, with women having to shoulder the responsibility for contraception once couples have decided that their families are complete.
Female sterilisation is not readily available but is also less effective and carries significantly more risks than male sterilisation. The waiting list for this is long as with all elective services in Northern Ireland. Many of the other methods of contraception for women involve hormones, implants or coils which are good methods of contraception but do not suit everyone.
With the withdrawal of NHS vasectomy services, we had implored the health board, Department of Health and even the newly appointed health minister but it was to no avail and unfortunately the decision to terminate the service has been made final.
What are the options for men considering a vasectomy?
Unfortunately the options for men seeking a vasectomy on the NHS are extremely limited. It is still possible to be referred to the trusts for consideration of a vasectomy. The waiting list for routine elective procedures are lengthy and they have not been providing this as a service for some time given the success of the community vasectomy service. We have been told that they have no capacity to do this and their priorities are more urgent surgeries. It is still worth discussing this with your doctor if it is something you would like to consider.
The only other option is to seek a vasectomy from an independent provider. This however comes at a cost. The good news is that there are a number of private Vasectomy providers at present and the cost has come down. The Vasectomists at VasectomyNI have been providing vasectomies in its clinic in Carryduff since 2017 and have a wealth of experience in offering this on the NHS. With the collapse of the NHS funding we are continuing to offer this as a private service as an option for those that still want to consider a vasectomy but cannot afford the high prices traditionally charged by private hospitals.
How much does a private vasectomy cost in Northern Ireland?
Before the introduction of community vasectomies you could expect to pay around £2000 for a private vasectomy. Fortunately now it is a lot less than that. VasectomyNI offers non scalpel vasectomy for £650 with the option to spread that payment over 3 months.
We believe that vasectomies should be affordable and available to as many people as possible, as a safe and effective method of contraception. Our Vasectomists are highly trained and we have an experienced nursing and admin team that will make your experience as smooth as possible.
You can contact us at info@vasetomyNI.co.uk if you require any further information.
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