Vasectomy services switching to primary care

Date published: 10 April 2024

This means health service vasectomies will be provided by GPs, with the required funding moved out of Trust budgets on a permanent basis.

“My decision will ensure a more localised service for patients, and I am confident it will result in hundreds more procedures being provided in the first year alone,” the Minister said.

“This innovation is a positive example of services being relocated for the benefit of patients – and with lower costs per procedure.”

The decision will involve in the region of £450k-£500k per year being allocated to primary care.

It will take effect immediately, with a transition phase throughout 2024/25. From 2025/26 onwards, primary care will be the sole provider of health service vasectomy services.

Scalpel-free vasectomies have been provided by GPs in recent years through the primary care elective care service. Funding, however, had been on a non-recurrent basis and was not provided for the second half of 2023/24 due to health service budgetary pressures. Vasectomy in secondary care is currently at low levels, resulting in around 1000 patients currently waiting for the procedure - reflecting the need for secondary care to focus attention on more complex and acute needs.

Welcoming the news Dr Joe Devlin, clinical director for the Primary Care Vasectomy Service, commented: “This is very positive news for primary care. We have been providing a high quality, easily accessible, cost-effective vasectomy service in primary care for several years now. The announcement by the Minister today provides long-term security for the future of the service, allowing us to plan more effectively to deliver and develop the service. It is a welcome vote of confidence in primary care that it can be the main provider of important services like this.”