RFC BELFAST FERTILITY. First steps. ?

[Moonie84]

We've been referred to rfc. Was told should be around march for our first consultation app. We just got a letter from Belfast City hospital and were been sent to gynae clinic at Belfast city hosp? I'm confused. Is this normal for rfc.? Its not for another other appointment so must be related to rfc.
Is that how they usually make contact by letter to send you to a gynae not directly to rfc themselves?

I live in fermanagh, and I've already seeing a gynae here and had all the tests. Blood tests and dye ect he had sperm done so I'm confused why would we be sent to gynae as our first step and their first contact to us. Was wondering is this normal?

What the actual flip? I waited 13 months for my first appointment!!!

@BoPeepNoSheep OP never stated when they were first referred, only that RFC had made contact to arrange first appointment so I would assume they'd been on the list for many months aswell

True true, and tbh I think I just piggybacked my own rage about waiting times generally into someone’s request for info. Wasn’t annoyed at OP, but am aware things are moving faster now than for us who had covid plonked in the middle of our treatment, was just shocked at the apparent comparison between then and now in my head!

@BoPeepNoSheep

You would generally only be fastracked if your an urgent referral I.e one partner going through cancer treatment ect so it's very unlikely OP was seen in that short of a time and most likely was waiting months before receiving contact.
I think it all depends on the demand aswell how quick your seen. I'm pretty sure their policy is when one couple finishes treatment then another is called. Same goes if a couple pulls out ,the list would move faster. We were put on the list August last year and received our first appointment In January but we had to arrange for February due to covid so I imagine another couple got bumped up earlier as we couldn't attend and were now behind them. Covid probably did affect your waiting times. I waited 3 years to be seen by a gynae before getting moved on to rfc.
Have you started treatment with them ?how did you find working with RFC?

I had treatment before Christmas (almost 3 years from referral) but it failed.

lol not sure where to start to answer your last question!! Working with the RFC was one of the worst experiences of my life! A fair cry less than experiencing the failed IVF, but mentally damaged me a lot. Nothing was ever explained, nothing was ever on time, they were highly inflexible when it came to me needing any flexibility but when it came to themselves they could just leave me hanging despite prior promises! How was your experience?

Hi, can I ask did you have to wait on the gynae list before getting your fertility clinic referral?

my gp has put me on the gynae waitlist which is 3 years however my husband was referred straight to the fertility clinic at the Royal for a semen analysis. Is it correct I have to wait for the gynae referral before I can be put on the fertility referral? The wait time in NI are devastating

Hi everyone, sorry for jumping on an old post but I thought you all might have some good knowledge of this.

We are hoping to start treatment with TFP Belfast in January but are also on the NHS waiting list. I have just rang RFC and been told that we should be getting a letter for our first appointment (we have a private referral for ICSI so not sure if this skips an appointment where an NHS dr would usually do this or not?) in January as we are near the top of the list.

I am still wanting to go ahead with the TFP cycle in January as I know how slow the NHS process can be. Does anyone know if we have the TFP cycle will we still be eligible for a funded NHS cycle after if needed please?

thanks in advance for any advice and I hope treatment went well for you all

I think you should go back and ask for a referral direct to rfc. Where there aren’t satellite centres that’s what the rest of us get even though it’s still a good long wait (over a year for a first appt in rfc).

Yes but check the criteria on nhs rfc website - ddepends how many cycles you’ve had, and your age.

@BoPeepNoSheep thanks for your reply! I have now had a referral directly to RFC from a private consultant as I wasn’t prepared to wait for the NHS gynae appointment. My first post of this thread was from June but I am now on the RFC waitlist.

The waitlist seems to be quite short atm with first consultation being approx 4 months but I know after that they are slow with follow up appointments too! the private consultant said he thought NHS treatment would start within 18 months with no real waitlists which just seems ridiculous!

And thanks for your suggestion. I managed to find the criteria on the trusts website and looks like I’ll still be eligible for funding as long as I don’t have 3 private cycles.

dod you have treatment with RFC?

I'd actually ring and double check that @CloudySky82
Because nice guidelines states you should be offered one nhs round as long as you haven't had 3 private cycles..
However each private cycle actually counts as 1 nhs cycle.
You only get 3 cycles in England. So if you use 1 private cycle your entitled to 2 nhs cycles however you don't get 3 cycles in n.i. you only get 1 cycle. Therfore you need to check directly with rfc, don't go whats written online as it's probably a guideline from nice. If it works the same way then if you have a private round the you wouldn't be entitled to an nhs round here in n.i

@MissKH84 thanks so much for this advice! We had our consultation with TFP earlier today and are going to start treatment with them in the new year anyway but will definitely be good to get clarification on our NHS round also.

I read an article that NI is due to change to 3 funded rounds but the change cannot be made with no functioning government! So frustrating for so many people I’m sure

@CloudySky82 I don't know if this is definitely the case for rfc but I only know this because I had a friend who had treatment in Scotland, she was only entitled to one nhs round and went private due to waiting and she was no longer eligble for nhs.

I will believe it when I see it.
3 nhs rounds was approved several years ago but the story as to why we can't have 3 rounds here is because we simply don't have the funding. I can't see it changing tbh regardless of weather we get stormont back up and running