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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to think a 7 week wait for a coil fitting is ridiculous?

90 replies

ferrione · 20/04/2015 09:25

Just that.

Previously attended GP to ask about coil. Was told it cant be fitted til nurse has done pre coil swabs, and only at another surgery in the next town (and to make appt for fitting AFTER swabs done and results back).

So pitch up for swabs...am asked if I have fitting appt. Then try to book one...first available is 7 weeks away.

This apparently is because the coils are not fitted by GP but a visiting gynae who only comes in for an hour once a week.

Honestly, Jesus wept! Surely avoiding pregnancy should not be this difficult? Not impressed by another 7 weeks of abstinence Sad

OP posts:
Fromparistoberlin73 · 20/04/2015 12:58

YABU

people wait longer than that for surgery to alleviate real pain and suffering

Jessica2point0 · 20/04/2015 13:06

I actually think YANBU. I'm not surprised though. I had to wait 5 weeks to have my implant out (procedure took approx. 5 mins including chatting to the nurse). Contraceptives should be easily and quickly available.

taybert · 20/04/2015 14:10

Unfortunately, as far as funding for the procedure is concerned, it isn't "part of normal healthcare". It is additional work which is funded separately. It looks as if in your area a separate service has been commissioned, that is to say that GPs are not paid to do this work and are supposed to refer to the visiting gynae. That service has probably been commissioned because it's cheaper. It's probably cheaper because they don't have enough people fitting and so waiting times are long.
It's another example of GP services being cut back. They can't do this work unfunded because that means there isn't the money to fill the gaps when they're fitting coils - each fit takes 30 min + nurse time, so 3 GP and 3 nurse appointments for each coil, they can't lose that number of appointments when so over stretched and there are already long waits for appointments.
So, no, you're not being unreasonable, but, it isn't your GP's fault. Write to your CCG, they should know that the service they are paying for is taking so long.

Original poster
ferrione · 20/04/2015 19:13

Condoms just don't work for us. They've split, come off, and my partner doesn't really enjoy sex wearing one. Nor do I, partly because I know he doesn't, and also because I feel they are unreliable for us.

Yes we can abstain, but we already have for several weeks (as GP told me I couldn't have a coil til my cycle had returned 'to normal' after stopping the injection), the prospect of another 7 weeks isn't great.

I appreciate it's not urgent like a cancer referral, and I'm not ill like if I had a serious disease, bit most GP appts are clogged up with people being seen for non urgent non serious issues anyway (when I went in for the swab - after waiting 2 weeks for an appt with the nurse - there were several people there who weren't ill, and probably could have resolved their problem via a pharmacist).

I do think it's pretty shit that methods for a woman to avoid pregnancy are such a low priority. At my age (43) a pregnancy even if I went ahead with it (which I wouldn't as for many reasons my partner and I dont want children together) would be fairly high risk, so presumably involve a lot more costs than sorting me out some contraception now when I need it.

OP posts:
18yearsoftrying · 20/04/2015 21:18

A friend of mine has very recently retired as a GP.

She was the only coil-fitter in the surgery.

No-one else wants to take over as apparently JUST to be a coil fitter, you have to still attend ALL training on & off site and keep up on your training/quals etc as a fully practicing registered GP. This takes over 30 hours a week apparently and they themselves have to fund this.

She desperately wanted to stay just to do the coil fitting but it just wasn't viable.

MzunguMzungu · 20/04/2015 22:35

A condom that fits properly won't slip off, won't split and will hardly be felt. Check out the Mysize condom website, you measure width and length and match it up to there size guide. I promise your partner that they will feel completely different to the usual size condoms available.

Original poster
ferrione · 20/04/2015 22:45

We've tried different sizes, it doesn't seem to make any difference. Partner has never really used condoms (one previous v long term relationship) and however thin they are they feel odd to him.

OP posts:
clr2014 · 20/04/2015 22:48

I could not believe how long the whole shenanigans took... Worth it though as its you sorted for 5 years...

Jessica2point0 · 20/04/2015 22:55

I hate condoms too (thought I was the only one)! I'd defo rather have no sex than sex with a condom.

DidoTheDodo · 21/04/2015 09:29

If he hates condoms so much why doesn't he go for the snip? (Probably a longer waiting time but then it's sorted for ever and solves his problem)

windchime · 21/04/2015 09:37

7 weeks isn't bad for a completely free contraception procedure which will last you years.

And as a medical procedure, you are supposed to have someone drive you there in case you suffer muscle spasms

LL0015 are you living in the dark ages down there in Londinium?

LadyCatherineDeTurd · 21/04/2015 10:00

YANBU. When I worked in CASH, as it was then known, we often felt it was the 'Cinderella service'. A surprising number of people seemed unable to comprehend that being able to access timely contraception and sexual health advice saves the NHS in the long run. That was nearly a decade ago, but judging by this thread not much has changed.

Nellagain · 21/04/2015 10:02

Yanbu..but this is the way it is with budget constraints etc. Get used to it it may well get worse.

SpinDoctorOfAethelred · 21/04/2015 10:04

YANBU

Trapper · 21/04/2015 10:06

YANBU we pay a lot of money into the NHS and it is not unreasonable to expect decent service. This is a ridiculous amount of time to be waiting for something this simple and visiting. For 1 hour sounds hugely inefficient when you consider the travel time etc.
As well as being a feminist issue it has the potential to cost the NHS more as it increases the risk of unwanted pregnancies, increased prescriptions of MAP and issuing free condoms as an alternative.

DidoTheDodo · 21/04/2015 12:10

Oh FFS, just stop shagging!

prepperpig · 21/04/2015 12:19

I have exactly the same situation. Mine ran out in March. It needs replacing. We can't use condoms because there is an issue with my strings (GP cut them too short) and there's a chance it could tear. I called and tried to book an appointment in early February. Was due to have it replaced this week and have had a call to say it will now be the end of June because the person who does coils is too busy this week and then going on holiday so no clinic in May.

I was told though as consolation that there's a "reasonable chance" I wouldn't get pregnant in the meantime since "in all likelihood" it will carry on working. Hmm

Sidge · 21/04/2015 12:27

If you don't fancy condoms I'd suggest trying the POP until you get your coil fitted.

Unfortunately in many areas there are few HCPs qualified to fit coils - I'm a qualified CASH nurse but my practice couldn't afford to train me to fit coils too as it's so very expensive. Hundreds of pounds for the course, a lot more for the MDU/RCN coverage, and then I have to fit x amount per month/year to retain my skills. We just don't have enough women wanting coils to justify the cost so in our CCG we have a reciprocal arrangement with another practice with a NP there fitting coils and we do the implants.

However if she is on leave, or her clinics are very busy with all the other stuff she does it can be 4 weeks to fit a woman in for a coil fitting. Not ideal I know but there are alternatives in terms of contraception.

Original poster
ferrione · 21/04/2015 13:28

I don't know what a POP is, I'm guessing it's the Pill? If so that's out for me, I'm not suited to hormonal contraception, I discovered that when I had the injection. So I don't have a lot of options.

My partner isn't quite ready to have a vasectomy. If it wasn't so invasive I'd be sterilised, but I suspect the wait for that is a lot longer than 7 weeks. Me being unable to get on with anything hormonal doesn't give us a lot of options. I'm worried about the coil tbh as partners ex had it nd he got poked by it several times even after she had it adjusted. Hoping that doesn't happen to us!

OP posts:
GraysAnalogy · 21/04/2015 13:32

I had to wait 6.

What was even more annoying is they publish the amount of abandoned appointments, the day I went in it was 106. Blame people like that and not the overstretched service.

SpinDoctorOfAethelred · 21/04/2015 13:57

POP is progesterone-only pill, colloquially known as the mini-pill, as opposed to the standard pill, the combined pill, which contains oestrogen and progesterone.

Schnullerbacke · 21/04/2015 14:19

And thus it has started. Majority think YABU. So what next? The cancer exploration surgery that takes 5 weeks to organise because 'what is one more week to wait'? The hip operation that takes 2 years because people could just sit or lie down in the interim?
Taking all contraceptive choices away and only offering the implant because in these times we do not need that much choice?

GraysAnalogy · 21/04/2015 14:30

schnuller are you seriously trying to compare those to receiving a contraceptive, despite there being lots of other choices to use in the interim that are perfectly adequate?

Number3cometome · 21/04/2015 14:34

ferrione

The POP is nothing like the implant, the implant didn't work for me, POP did.

If you can't use condoms, the POP or implant, then you should abstain.

GraysAnalogy · 21/04/2015 14:37

Just a note too, there's a national shortage apparently of the injection contraception so waiting lists may be increased for that

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