I was on it last year. I fell pregnant on it, but I did explain to the doctor that I wasn't using it properly, ie not remembering to put a new patch on for a few days after the deadline hence pregnancy. It was my first miscarriage with that pregnancy too.
Prior to the patch I was on Cerazette which was awful, bleeding virtually non stop for several months. The patch gave me no side effects.
It does have a much higher level of hormone that causes deep vein thrombosis, but with contraception it's just a case of pick your evil anyway isn't it.
I'm a lifelong non smoker and of rudimentary exercise - I don't drive so walk everywhere regularly, swim once a week sometimes twice, and have two primary schoolers with after school clubs/Brownies etc that keep me out and about in the fresh air. I have a middling diet and am more than a stone overweight according to my BMI. I'm down for an echo scan on my heart shortly but whilst I have a family history of heart disease, it's only because I have a short PR wave interval, ie my heart beat is too short at the first 'peak', so I don't know if that affects their decision not to prescribe? It's nothing serious as far as I've googled.
However, two doctors I have now seen at my practice will not prescribe the patch 'because of your age and because you fell pregnant on it'.
I'm only a year older than the last time I took it and the pregnancy was down to not using the patch correctly. The resulting traumatic miscarriage took care of making me determined to use it correctly next time.
They have instead prescribed Norethisterone under the brand name Micronon which is for halting periods altogether 
or they will consider Cerazette, despite my explanation of how unsuitable it was first time.
At the moment we are using nothing! Just withdrawal. I can't be sterilised as I'm too petrified of being put to sleep and the other non surgical sterilisation (Essure) can't be performed because I have a prolapse.
My partner of 3 years has asked about a vasectomy and he said his doctor has put in for funding for it, but whilst my partner has said he doesn't want children, he is understandably reluctant to have this procedure, despite being aware of how relatively straightforward it should be.
He's said he'll do it if I don't want to take contraception, but I can't being myself to say to him, ok then. I would feel like I've then made his decision. I almost wish he'd just to ahead and do it without telling me :/
Anyway, if my practice won't prescribe the patch again, can I get it from a local sexual health clinic or similar do you know?