Surrogacy

Surrogacy is when a woman carries and gives birth to a baby for another person or couple.

Updated 12 October 2026 (1 minute read)

Summary

  • It is legal in the UK, but a surrogacy agreement cannot be enforced in court.
  • A surrogate cannot be paid more than her reasonable expenses.
  • The surrogate is the child's legal mother at birth. The intended parents become the legal parents through a parental order from the court.
  • In 2023 the Law Commissions recommended that intended parents could be the legal parents from birth. The law has not changed.

Interview questions

  • What are the ethical concerns about surrogacy?
  • Should surrogates be paid?
  • A surrogate changes her mind after the birth. Who should the law treat as the parent?

Practise answering these with a mentor

Our interview preparation has you answer questions like these out loud, with feedback on each answer.

More NHS hot topics, medical ethics case studies and medical school interview questions are in AlphaMED Resources, which we add to and update through the application cycle.