A national sperm bank is to be launched to meet increasing demand.

It is hoped the new sperm bank will cut out unregulated providers and help patients currently on waiting lists. 

A national sperm bank is to be launched to meet increasing demand.

The National Gamete Donation Trust (NGDT), in partnership with Birmingham Women’s Hospital, has been awarded £77,000 by the Department of Health (DoH) to provide the service, which will launch in October.

In a DoH document it says it will benefit patients of all ethnicities across the UK, including same-sex couples and single women”.

There is currently a national shortage of sperm donors in the UK and as patient numbers continue to rise, treating those who need donor sperm is said to be a major problem.

At present, some patients needing donor sperm are faced with few options and find themselves on waiting lists, having to use unregulated providers or having to stop treatment altogether, the trust said.

It is hoped the bank will reduce the number of patients putting themselves at risk by using unregulated sperm donation services.

For the first time, those from ethnic minority backgrounds will be able to choose from a range of culturally matched donors.