NHS waiting lists for coil fitting causing unplanned pregnancies

[BlueKittens]

AIBU to think that the long waiting lists to fit the (Mirena) coil are causing unplanned pregnancies? Obviously sex and failed alternative contraception is a big factor too, but don’t women have the right to timely contraception provision?

I’m currently a few months pregnant after twice being unable to secure an appointment for a coil fitting at my surgery. There wasn’t even a waiting list for appointments, I was told to come back to check if any appointments were opening up for three months time- and both times was told to come back again. GP won’t put me on pill due to risk and depot caused a reaction. DH refusing vasectomy as he knows someone who suffers chronic ball ache.

Lucky for me it’s a happy little accident, but I can’t help feeling this might be quite devastating for some women.

It’s not just my surgery. Two friends at different surgeries have just told me they have had difficulties getting an appointment too. One is waiting 5 weeks for hers and the other is on a waiting list for when an appointment becomes available, has been told a 3+ month wait. The problem is with the high level of demand and the fact that only one person in each of our surgeries can fit it.

Nevermind the personal costs of unwanted pregnancies- they cost the NHS too in terms of abortions, care etc. It just seems crazy to me, but I guess it’s not a priority in the overstretched NHS.

If you were that desperate then paying privately instead of a holiday would have been a good option. Although even if you had taken MAP it could still have failed (looking at my 4 month old MAP failure right now! Best mistake I ever made).

Good luck with the baby.

It's not like they're making you wait for shits and giggles though OP. I'm sure they're quite aware that delays in contraception access mean more unplanned pregnancies and expensive NHS antenatal care. They have a shortage of people trained, insured and willing to do insertions. What do you suggest they do about it?

YABU - this is a joke, yes?

It's very easy not to get pregnant without a mirena.

I've never had a mirena. I have 1 child, And got my period 22 years ago.

Can’t believe I’ve just read that. We live in a country with free healthcare and free contraception but it’s still not good enough?? Pay for private healthcare if it’s that unsatisfactory. Or just close your legs ?

Also why should we abstain from PIV sex while we wait more than 7 months for an appointment to become available? We are in love and enjoy regular intimacy

Because you don’t want another baby, and abstaining is the only way to guarantee that?

you can’t prevent T1 diabetes but up to 90% of T2 could be prevented and this is what makes up the bulk of diabetes spending.

My point is.. prevention is cheaper for the NHS than treatment!

It’s a moot point

You have a responsibility as a member of society to not let yourself get pregnant if you don’t want to. Yes, accidents happen, but to blame the NHS on your inability to use a condom or another form of contraception in the meantime?

Too right, OP. What else could you have possibly used during the wait? the pill, condoms, abstinence

But you yourself could have prevented it by not doing PIV or doubling up for eg?

“why should we abstain from PIV sex” or the other way why should the NHS pay for your contraception so that you can have sex without getting pregnant? We are very lucky we have free contraception on the NHS and if you really didn’t want to be pregnant there is other option such as the implant/Male or female condoms/diaphragm/even natural family planning and avoiding your fertile time.

Nhs does not pay for contraception. Council does. Most are cutting services to save money

While I agree that we should take responsibility for our own fertility there is an issue with provision of contraception services.
Family planning services were phased out and replaced by sexual health clinics covering genitourinary medicine clinics as well. Unfortunately there are insufficient staff in both these specialties. In many areas , particularly outside cities , the GP is the main provider of fp.
In order to be able to fit coils a GP or FP nurse ( quite rightly) has to prove competence and keep up do date, going on courses, auditing and completing a certain number of procedures a year. They have to counsel and consent the woman in advance and arrange a long appointment at a time suitable for all when there is no chance of the woman already being at an early stage of pregnancy. They require instruments and a nurse chaperone. Most doctors aren't insured , because of the above factors, to fit coils which puts pressure in terms of appointment time on those who do. There is a shortage of doctors all round and at many practices they are struggling to look after ill patients and so FP in that context is an appointment and staff heavy luxury. Of course it is a required service and one of the more valuable services to patients that there is as well as being good values for money as a pp pointed out., I am just pointing out that in these days of doctor shortages it is easy to see that the service has got squeezed.

Came on to say it not the fault of the nhs that you got pregnant waiting for the coil!

You could have used condoms.. you could have gone on the mini-pill, you could have abstained from PIV sex for a few months.

People need to start taking responsibility for their own health and bodies.i successfully avoided getting pregnant until I was 28 and married, it was not hard to use contraception! I'm not allowed the pill but still, no pregnancy until I actively tried. Number 2 I got lax and fell pregnant when we risked it (turns out it really is a myth that breastfeeding acts as a contraceptive). I don't "blame" anyone but myself and DH for being naive!

First of all, personal responsibility!

I live in London with long waiting lists but you can get a coil fitted within a week at sexual health clinics (the last time I had it fitted on the same day). Another benefit of using a clinic is they are more experienced at fitting them.

A close friend works in this field. Payments for GPs have dropped so low for coils that in most cases it makes no financial sense for them to offer the service at all.

Either take some responsibility for a few months and wait, or get one privately.

@BlueBug45 if the only alternative is condoms ..... perhaps use them?

@Jennywren100 that is one of the best posts I've ever seen n mumsnet!

Well said!

Are you seriously blaming the NHS for your insufficient use of contraception leading to an unplanned pregnancy? Thought I’d read it all on MN! 🙄how about taking some personal responsibility and use a condom, it’s not rocket science is it?!

I’m finding all these replies really interesting- thanks to everyone for engaging. This is not a joke or a wind up. I’ve genuinely been thinking about the impact of the lack of availability of appointments on conception rates. I’m definitely not blaming the NHS for my situation!

Like I said we have taken responsibility for the fail. It wasn’t planned to happen on holiday with no access to MAP. We are also very happy about the baby; it is our happy little accident

In hindsight I could have paid for a private coil fitting but it didn’t cross my mind tbh, I’v just been so used to going to the GP for long term contraception solutions (rightly or wrongly- I think most of us do).

It’s really interesting to read about the insurance for fitting and it sounds like this is perhaps one reason for lack of appointments. On the demand side, I think doctors have become more risk averse in prescribing the combined pill. I can’t go on the progesterone pill as it makes my health symptoms worse (don’t want to go into personal medical details).

I’ve found all these posts so interesting- I guess my thinking is not the norm and for most people it would seem that providing family planning services is not a priority. It will probably be one of the next things to be cut.

I'm glad some others have raised the issue that it is getting more difficult to obtain contraceptive services due to austerity cuts. Radio 4's Woman's Hour did a piece on this just last week. Women are trying to take personal responsibility and are being hampered by a lack of services.

Sorry to derail the thread but does anybody know if you can have a new Mirena coil fitted immediately after you've had an old Mirena coil removed? Many thansk

Also why should we abstain from PIV sex while we wait more than 7 months for an appointment to become available? We are in love and enjoy regular intimacy.

Of course your love for each other is more urgent and the need for PIV sex is so much more necessary than anyone else!

So this is a happy little accident but you waned your DH who loves you so much but won't consider a vasectomy, but your so in love! To have a vasectomy which is final? I don't understand?

Also he knows one bloke out of 1000000s that ended up with ball ache? But has he not heard of women that die during childbirth?

But he loves you sooooo much the only way he can demonstrate it is with PIV sex?

Yes, it's absolutely shocking and I'm not surprised by a lot of the sexism on this thread -- suggesting that we should just use other forms of contraception, that sensible women would be able to manage it, etc etc.

THAT'S NOT THE POINT.

The point is that services that directly affect women are shockingly bad at the moment. From sexual health services to contraception, women are being told to wait months or sent to distance locations for coil fitting or STD screening. If you are a mother of three young children, you are not likely to be able to do this easily. If you are in an abusive relationship where sex is expected (and your partner won't wear a condom), you are not likely to be able to use condoms as an alternative.

YANBU! We should be up in arms about these critical services being so hard to access.

Ah, the old contraception failure....

sigh

1. Go to a sexual health clinic
2. Buy some condoms
3. Take responsibility for yourself instead of blaming the NHS.