advice of using a BUPA Consultant when you haven't been referred by a doctor...

[bluebell82]

I have just been on another thread- so hi if you are now joining me on this one, but I just wanted a bit of advise..

I am getting no where fast with my GP and we have been tryingfor 18 months, ectopic pregnancy and mc. I am 25 next month and my dh is 28, apart from the problems above we have never had any ill health and have been fully checked for any infections.

The GP just keeps saying that I have proved I can get pregnant as I have been twice but that doesn't make me feel anybetter.. I have tried everything from reflexology, to charting, to grape fruit juice, to all the herbal remedies under the sun, stopped smoking, stopped drinking, eat organic I can go on!

I wrote to a consultant at Bupa who is a specialist within this area, I advsied about the situation with my GP and he sympathised advising that it just isn't top of the NHS agenda. He has advised me to come for a consultantation which will cost £1k approx without insurance and he would refer me straight back to his clinic. The other route is for me to spend the next 18 months pleading with my GP who has out right said they will not refer me until I have been trying 3 years because of my age it doesn't make me an urgent case and that time is the best option, for me to be referred to the same consultant for the same tests and the same referral to his clinic, when I can pay £1k and get the ball rolling within 1 month.

What are your thoughts??? My dh is like do it and get an appointment but I am I going to arse about tit way- also could not bear to have another unexplained miscarriage and rubbish excuses from the doctor who doesn't seem to like even talking about sex! I am sick of being a freak show because when I had my last mc, the scanner didn't seem to even care that they had just told me my pregnancy was over and was more interested in getting a freeze frame on my retroverted uterus for her trainee, I nearly smacked her.

By the way the £1k, is with all of the sub fertility tests as well, including bloods, sperm, lap and dye , xrays etc.... over a period of 4 consultations, not just the one as it seemed to say in my last message

Your GP is frankly hopeless; the general consensus seems to be that gynaes like to see people after 12 months of trying without success. To ask you to wait another year and a half is unreasonable.

With your gynae history being as it is I would speak to this BUPA consultant for an initial chat re your situation to date. That won't cost 1K. If this guy works within the NHS as well this also shows competance on his part.

Longer term, I'd change GPs. No point having someone who cannot communicate effectively.

TBH 1K for all of the tests you've been quoted is actually not bad. My ovarian diathermy op was nearer 2K alone!.

Poor you

Are you a bupa member?

If so then you should be covered but if not you will have to pay for it.

We're under bupa, we even have a bupa A&E, You certainly get what you pay for in my opinion.

I didn't think £1k is too bad to be honest, and he advsied he would then refer me back to the NHS under him so that it would be free, it just means we can miss out the next 18 months of dealing with the GP.

Hi Hilary- I am not a member of Bupa- if I joined now would I be able to claim under the cover or the fact that I have now made an enquiry would make it void?

It would be voided. Pre existing conditions are excluded from cover.

You could ask to have only first appointment at BUPA for initial history and examination. This is likely to cost only £100 to £200 . Then ask consultant to transfer you to his NHS clinic.

Left you a post on your other thread but havin read ymore detail here I would definately say CHANGE DR!!!!

Just realised that my use of caps may have made it look like I was shoutign at you Blubell. I'm not I'm just feelign furious on your behalf.

Really though , ask your friend neighbours what sort of Dr they have for pointers toward one that will actually listen to you. Fertility specialist will be interested both in gettign you pregnant and keepign you pregnant. OK it isn't necessariluy high on some NHS trusts lists but that should not stop him/her doing a referral. The clinical judgement about what you need next should lie with the expert.

personally , unless you are well off i wouldn't go to a private clinic at this point until you have chased down the NHS route a little longer istartign with changing dr.

Check the small print of your BUPA insurance - it may well not cover infertility treatment. You might get some of the initial tests paid for, but I'd be surprised and impressed if they would fund any treatment.

I have private medical insurance through my work (not with Bupa), and that certainly didn't cover my infertility treatment. Fortunately DH and I were able to afford the treatments we needed. I found a world of difference between the way we were treated as NHS patients versus private patients, and all the staff were the same! As private patients we were listened to more, informed of more, and got more time with the consultant.

If you have the money, and won't void future NHS treatment by going private now, I'd go for it!

Hugs,
Artoo.

BUPA certainly never funded my fertility treatment but they did pay for part of my diathermy operation because that was for painful periods (not something I would wish anybody to have particularly when it turned out the underlying cause of this in my case was endometriosis). Some tests that were paid for in full by us privately were just not available under the PCT I am in - the HSG (tubal x-ray) being one such thing.

Some clinics that do offer private treatment can be poor as well as expensive. Generally speaking it would pay dividends to do researches thoroughly into any private clinic before parting with your hard earnt cash.

I would say that you need to see a different GP straight away, before you start spending your own money on tests etc, that you are fully entitled to on the NHS. You shouldn't need to wait another 18 months, that is ridiculous. Demand a second opinion.

I was always on the understanding that if you had been trying 12 months under 35 you would be referred for fertility tests.

Good luck.