Male birth control surgery provider 'pauses' service

Officials say the number of referrals for a vasectomy have doubled (stock photo)

An NHS vasectomy service in Derbyshire has been "paused" due to a lack of surgical capacity and recruitment problems.

A vasectomy is a procedure and form of male contraception in which the tubes carrying sperm are cut and sealed.

New figures from the Derbyshire Community Health Services (DCHS) NHS Foundation Trust highlight how long men are on the waiting list.

It said 1,216 were currently in line for a vasectomy - 173 have waited more than a year, with 33 having waited longer than 15 months.

'Reduce the waits'

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a report to the trust said: “As the [vasectomy] service is currently paused due to the unavailability of surgical capacity, this waiting position is worsening.

“All recruitment and training options are being explored, but there is no certainty around securing capacity in the short-term."

It said those who had waited the longest for the DCHS service were being contacted to have their options explained to them.

A trust spokesperson said: “We are taking all possible action to reduce the waits for vasectomies.

“We are in the process of recruiting a clinician to our sexual health service with a specific remit for vasectomy."

DCHS said it was working closely with five other vasectomy providers in Derby and Derbyshire to help reduce the overall waiting list.

Officials say there is a "growing demand" for the procedure, with a doubling in the number of referrals.

Patients typically get a vasectomy as a form of long-term or permanent male birth control, though it can potentially be reversed.

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