Did you/would you tell NHS GP about private fertility testing/treatment before NHS fertility referral?

[Wisteria25]

Bonus points if anyone is a GP and knows how this would affect a referral!!

the NHS process is so slow, so doing some private investigations, but wouldn’t be able to afford private IVF or more expensive treatment so will want an NHS referral. We’re having the usual tests with GP (bloods, semen analysis), but alongside this have had a private consultation, have a private scan booked, and trying progesterone. I’m worried telling the GP this might mean they won’t refer to the NHS fertility clinic, even though I think we meet the criteria (I can only see the assisted conception criteria, don’t know if there’s a different criteria that GPs go by to refer?).
I just feel we can’t afford to wait to start doing anything at all, but seems best to be honest with the GP.

would welcome any personal experience ☺️

Surely they will send copies of your reports to GP?

I don’t think so - they haven’t asked for any details of my GP.
In an ideal circumstance I’m hoping it’s fine, and then I can share test results etc back with GP. But I just don’t want to prevent the referral being put in

I’ve checked the NHS app and there’s nothing relating to the private appt or prescription

In that case I would continue as you are. Good luck!

I wouldn’t, and there’s a cautionary tale.

When you go for private treatment you’ll have to sign a lot of consents (I think it’s done as standard at the start even if you are just having a few tests ) in those consents you can choose who information is shared with and you can select for them not to contact the GP

Are you in England. I’m in Wales and when a friend went to GP with lump in her breast she was told if she went private to get it checked out she wouldn’t be referred for NHS treatment (v stressful as waiting times were way longer than old two week pathway). So I would check carefully

No I wouldn’t, or at least I’d find out first if it would affect funding.

I would recommend being completely honest with the GP, it could actually end up speeding things up for you quite a bit.

One of my best friends (now pregnant) needed investigations for infertility, she was told the wait list was a ridiculous length and so she spoke with her GP about it and they decided to go private for parts of it which allowed her to sort of jump bits of the queue. She needed a referral to fertility and was told even for that initial appointment where bloods/semen could be checked she would be waiting around 18 weeks. Because she had chatted with the GP about it she said she was able to go private for that, the GP helped her choose someone who’s reports would be accepted by the NHS & so she paid for that initial appointments and for those tests privately, all done within a handful of weeks. NHS accepted those reports and so she then joined the NHS queue for the next stage, straight away she’s skipped about 15 weeks of waiting.

If you do think you will need IVF though unless you can afford to pay privately for it there’s not much point in you starting off privately. For assisted conception the NHS don’t take reports from private, they redo all of the steps themselves to check your eligibility so you’d not be gaining anything timewise there.

Thanks that’s helpful. I do think it will help in terms of timescales - yes nhs might redo all tests, but privately an issue could be found and potentially treated meaning I don’t even need the NHS support, or could highlight what the issue is which will give some direction. I’ve seen people say their issue was resolved/treated and they were pregnant before the nhs appt even came through. I’ve also seen lots of people say that once referred by NHS, tests/investigations they had whilst waiting were used by the NHS clinic. It probably varies area by area though I’m sure

My understanding is that the NHS will accept some reports/tests etc but if you were to need or want IVF they redo all of the tests because they have to confirm themselves that you are eligible for the funding. As you say though it may be something as simple as Clomid etc and you’re pregnant before you even need to see the NHS so it’s got to be worth a try.

Yes that makes total sense. It’s so difficult because it’s hard to find the actual information online - I can only see the ICB assisted conception criteria online but not what the “rules” are in terms of referrals or how the GPs function.