Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU about the lack of NHS [contraception] services

94 replies

LondonStone · 17/09/2020 12:00

Let me just start by saying my mum, sister, and auntie and uncle all work for the NHS in various roles. They all worked throughout the lockdown and I bloody love the NHS however...

When my contraceptive implant expired in March 2020 I decided I wanted to remove it. DH was totally on board and we are at a point that pregnancy would be welcomed but not officially trying.

I’ve been on the pill and had implants for almost half my life and really have no idea what I’m like or what my body is like without it.

I can’t get an appointment anywhere around me (London/Essex border) to remove it. I spoke to one place who told me categorically no so I tried another tactic next time and said we were trying for a baby and was told ‘we don’t recommend you becoming pregnant in the current climate’. The third place I told the truth and said ‘well it’s expired now and I really just want to remove it and see if it has any impact on my health and mental health’. I was told sorry, services are running but for emergencies only.

AIBU to think a simple 10 minute procedure on my upper arm in which we could both wear masks should really be going ahead. I know it’s not a life and death situation and I don’t want to endanger anyone in the NHS but surely things have got to resume in a sensible and safe way?

(As a side note, if anyone around London/Essex can recommend somewhere private for around £200, I will pay for it now as I just don’t know when it will happen otherwise.)

OP posts:
zigaziga · 17/09/2020 12:03

There was a similar thread on conception a while back. Someone had to threaten to remove it themselves (apparently it can be done!) and the GP relented.

But no, I don’t think you are U.

My DC had medical appointments postponed by 5 months. Non urgent, like yours and of course we could have coped in a few weeks delay and it wasn’t the biggest deal but months and month impacted his life negatively and I don’t think it’s ok.

KarlKennedysDurianFruit · 17/09/2020 12:04

I saw a Dr Alice Scott (private GP) when I was having issues with contraceptive pills, PCOS and an unhelpful NHS GP an good few years ago. That was in Shenfield. I think I might still have the number

KarlKennedysDurianFruit · 17/09/2020 12:06

01277 201001 not sure what the cost would be but she was excellent

zigaziga · 17/09/2020 12:07

And actually, I’d be planning on getting the coil until I read the similar story to yours on here. I hate the idea that they can just simply refuse to remove it.

Whether it’s a good idea to get pregnant this year or next year or never should not be any of their business, I don’t think that’s an appropriate thing to say to you.

Original poster
LondonStone · 17/09/2020 12:08

Oh was there? I wish I’d seen it!

I feel bad complaining about something so trivial but like you say, when it’s months and months it builds up in your mind. I now have expired contraception in my body and I want to have it removed and it’s just not possible.

I absolutely understood during lockdown, I am not a priority by a long shot but it seems like absolutely nothing is resuming even in the near future. I asked all four places I tried when those services will be starting up and none of them could answer.

OP posts:
KarlKennedysDurianFruit · 17/09/2020 12:08

My good friend in his thirties, was diagnosed by phone with anxiety when he got an appointment about palpitations and numbness he was having , he was adamant he has no reason to be anxious, they told him it's Covid worry related.... 4 weeks later he had a stroke. It's not ok.

Sparklfairy · 17/09/2020 12:10

we don’t recommend you becoming pregnant in the current climate

That is shocking but typical of the NHS attitude - as you're a woman you have no right to decide what you do with your body unless we say so

Sparklfairy · 17/09/2020 12:10

Sorry not an NHS bash. Should really have said the medical profession in general

Original poster
LondonStone · 17/09/2020 12:11

I’m so happy to see others agree with me. Like I said, I knew it expired in March but I didn’t do anything about it as I knew there were much bigger things going on. It’s only in the last few weeks I’ve been looking into it and... nope.

OP posts:
unimaginativeusernamehere · 17/09/2020 12:12

we don’t recommend you becoming pregnant in the current climate

This comment was completely out of line. I've heard far too many stories of women who aren't able to have these implants removed when they request and it really smacks of the government controlling women's bodies and fertility. It's not on.

Marmite133 · 17/09/2020 12:14

This happened to me last year (before lockdown). There was simply no service in my county or any of the surrounding ones to do it. I ended up waiting 6 months (had wanted to ttc) then had to travel 60 miles to a random gum clinic in a major city. They couldn't remove it because it had been left in so long the tissues had just completely absorbed it and buried it deep in my arm. Not to scare you but I had to have a heart surgeon remove it 6 months later under anesthetic as it was so close to the bone and arteries. So definately push for it or just go private.
They told me it didn't work after 3 years so I could just leave it there (!) but in the extra year I had it in I had no periods and didn't get pregnant. I got pregnant the month after it came out.

UserABCDE12345 · 17/09/2020 12:14

I had my implant removed (not expired but causing me issues) a few months ago by my practice nurse who only deals with contraception. Is there no one like this at your surgery?

What about sexual health clinics? They may be able to do it.

My gynaecologist told me to get mine removed as I was also on the pill to stop the constant bleeding and he wasn't happy with this. I think because he had said it, it's why it was removed. Like you said, masks etc and hardly anyone else in the surgery, it was fine and can clearly be done.

I was ready to threaten to cut the damn thing out myself tbh. Good job I didn't as it was a nightmare to remove and took her nearly 20 minutes!

It's not acceptable that these basic services are not running at all yet pubs and theme parks can all operate and a safe(ish) way. I'm sure there is more risk going to a pub than going into a clean surgery with PPE and masks for 10-15 minutes!

Original poster
LondonStone · 17/09/2020 12:18

@Marmite133 That’s really good to know, thank you. I was told it will “probably still be effective” but to use condoms anyway but I haven’t had a period for many years and I really wanted to get my body back to a natural state after 13 years.

OP posts:
BehindtheBump · 17/09/2020 12:20

Hang on, I'll try to dig out the other thread. But yes, as PP says, threaten to cut it out yourself using a YouTube tutorial. Seems to work.

BehindtheBump · 17/09/2020 12:22

Found it:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/conception/3913616-no-one-will-remove-it

Coldilox · 17/09/2020 12:22

It’s so weird, my wife is a nurse in a GUM clinic and has been doing routine contraceptive services since she was send back (had been redeployed to a covid ward for almost four months). She’s been back since early August and they started doing contraception fairly soon after that

Original poster
LondonStone · 17/09/2020 12:25

My GP does have a practice nurse but nothing seems to be running? I’ve also tried a book a smear test after receiving a letter and was told they aren’t currently doing smear tests either. Confused

I think I might be in a bit of black hole in terms of services. I’m originally from the north east and my family are able to access more services it seems.

Local sexual health clinic were the one who said no to the trying for pregnancy, I don’t think they are doing anything other than emergency STI tests.

I‘m absolutely willing to go further afield, even a few hours. Does anyone know— can you go to any NHS sexual service even if you don’t live in that area?

OP posts:
mummyh2016 · 17/09/2020 12:26

This isn't a Covid situation, I had this issue last year. I wanted my implant removed as it just wasn't agreeing with me. I was told by two different trusts there was a 4 month wait. I decided I'd best make an appointment for then, but when I rang up they managed to get me in the following week. The nurse that removed it told me she'd ended up cancelling an afternoon of meetings to free up some appointment space. If she hadn't done that I'd have been waiting for 4 months.

daisyjgrey · 17/09/2020 12:27

I had the implant 12 years ago and it was awful, I wanted it out after 12 months and when I asked, I discovered that nobody in my GP surgery was trained to remove them..! Who gets trained to put them in but not take them out?!

I had to go to a family planning clinic (very small town, clinic happens once a month) and wait 7 months to get an appointment to get the bloody thing out. I was livid, and that was waaayyy before the pandemic screwed everything up.

ShellsAndSunrises · 17/09/2020 12:30

@LondonStone It might be worth phoning around a few family planning/sexual health clinics and saying that you're in the area and would they be able to help?

I'm a bit far away but our contraceptive services reopened pretty quickly after lockdown. It's all a bit sterile and strange but you can get things done.

I hope someone can get it out for you!

Bells3032 · 17/09/2020 12:31

I have found this (live in London/Herts area) and couldn't get the NHS to take out my coil. I ended up paying privately for it to be done (at the cost of £250). I am aware of the risks of Covid but we are careful and sadly due to fertility issues on my husband's side and my age we don't have time to sit around and wait the year or two for CV to be over

Coldilox · 17/09/2020 12:31

daisy - that’s nonsense, implant training is to put them in and take them out!

Coldilox · 17/09/2020 12:32

Not accusing you of lying BTW!

rorosemary · 17/09/2020 12:36

I feel bad complaining about something so trivial

It's absolutely not trivial when other people decide about your fertility! The previous thread made me decide to never agree to a coil or implant or any conception method that I don't control myself. I find it downright scary that other people can just decide that women will just have to keep a coil or implant because it's more convenient to them. And I say that as someone who is very careful and strict about Covid rules.

Someonesayroadtrip · 17/09/2020 12:39

Absolutely ridiculous. I guess that services aren't fully back and running but it's not right People are left.

I have had two urgent referrals not happen, one rejected and one still not happen. It seems that 1 in 3 urgent referrals are rejected. www.gponline.com/urgent-referrals-rejected-one-three-gps-during-covid-19-outbreak/article/1682282

It's crazy. I know things are on the raise again, but really why did things open back up if nothing is running currently? Surely the protect the NHS includes current health not just COVID.

No, it's not like and death you get it out but at the same time it MAY be affecting you mental health, It really messed with me the twice I had it. Plus, when can you have it out? There could be no end to this.