Referred to fertility clinic on the NHS. Looking for some advice...

[babywhen]

Hi, I've just been referred to a fertility clinic by my GP and he couldn't tell me how long the wait will be. I feel really uncertain and wondered if anyone can shed some light on the waiting time and road ahead?

[physicskate]

It really depends where in the country you are and what the wait lists are like. I had a three week wait for first appointment and then 10 week wait until second and then a third booked three months after the second.

I’m in Yorkshire.

At first appointment they ordered a SA for my husband and three blood tests for me (rubella chlamydia and fsh). I also had an internal ultrasound which showed tonnes of cysts. Everything else came back all clear so at the second appointment I was prescribed clomid. On my first cycle now and start ovarian tracking tomorrow. The doctor said I have no indications for blockages (no abdominal surgery and no chlamydia antibodies) so he doesn’t do an hsg in those cases.

Ttc 20 months two chemical around month 3 and 11.

Not sure what happens if I’m not pregnant by the next time I see him. He said clomid would ‘double my chances’ but 2x0 still equals zero...

That’s just my experience. Oh and I self referred because my gp told me to F off and have more miscarriages. But my gp was very happy to prescribe antidepressants instead of ordering an ultrasound.

[babywhen]

I've had bloods done by my GP and the results showed very low progesterone and he ordered my husband to have a SA which has been sent off for analysis. I had several ultrasounds this year due to heavy periods and they didn't show anything but I imagine the specialist will want to run all the tests again. I will just have to wait and hope I hear from the clinic soon.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience, good luck with your TTC x

[JoJoSM2]

We found it very useless. Even after the GP finally referred us, the fertility clinic was supposedly so busy that they couldn't even do basic tests for months and months. In May I was scheduling appointments for December and their attitude was 'take it or leave it' even if you can't make it. I don't know how much longer the wait for IVF would be as we wouldn't be in the queue until all the basic tests have been completed. In the end, we got frustrated and went down the private route.

I hope your local NHS is better than ours.

[RubyBoots7]

Hi, do you mean to the fertility clinic as in the IVF clinic, or to the NHS gynaecologist? Sorry I dk how it works where you are.

So our GP referred us to the latter. They did a bunch of tests (hycosy, bloods etc). After a long time (because our CCG criteria is 3yrs of attempting to conceive before you can be eligible), we were then referred on by the gynae to the IVF clinic of our choice (from a list). Then we didn't wait long at all before we had our first consultation at the IVF clinic.

If this is the situation for you, have a look at your IVF policy for your local CCG. You can find out the time criteria (and all the other criteria).

[RavingRoo]

I had my antral follicle count 2 weeks post referral. So it can move quickly. Depends on the IVF clinic and the wait list.

[babywhen]

Not for IVF yet, they've referred me to "help" because we've been trying for almost two years without any luck.

So I just mean what will the timescale be like and what am I to expect. I don't know what the wait is like in my area as never been in this position before. They said I should not expect to hear from the clinic for at least 2 or 3 months. The GP has asked me to continue having monthly blood tests and has also requested my husband has a SA which he has...