Private Treatment - how to get started

[GeorgieWilson]

Hi, I'm hoping for a little advice. DP and I have been trying to conceive for 15 months. Went to the Doctors this week to see what to do next. He explained that they won't refer to the fertility clinic without basic tests. My partner is registered elsewhere and they won't perform tests without him changing practice to them, I was also a bit dubious of his calculation of dates for the 21 day blood test - he's told me to book at day 21 despite me having 32 day cycles, I looked into this when I got home.
Anyway - having discussed it with DP we have decided we would rather go private but I was unsure how to do this. Do we still have to do the tests and then get the doctor to refer us to private or can I just contact the local hospital. (We live in the back of beyond so local independent clinic is 90 miles away). Thank you

We were nhs which started with prog test x3 and day 3 test x1
Then DP had sperm test
Then we had bloods tests for STDs. I had thyroid, testosterone etc

You probably want to do day 21 on about 25. And make a mote anout when period showed up that month.
Confused as to why you would contact local hospital? I assume that is nhs?
The hfea site may show which hospitals do investigations.
I doubt you can self refer to nhs, but i did self refer back (for dc2) as a private patient after being nhs.

Maybe you could continue with tests at your gp and pay privately for his sperm test (about £80). Though i cant understand why he needs to register at your gp, although if say it means you are in different 'pct' or whatever it is now i suppose that could cause a problem.

Hi, thanks for your reply. He is in a different trust/area so I guess that's why the insistence on transferring. This was all discussed in detail at reception when I tried to make the appointment with a long queue behind me .
I was wanting to just skip the nhs and do the whole thing privately - assumed that the local hospital would take private as well as nhs but wasn't sure if I could just go directly there without a referral even for private. I'd prefer to be local rather than travel a long way for independent clinic. But the suggestion of just doing his test privately is a good idea.

We self referred to a private clinic, after struggling with an incompetent GP (who submitted my blood for wrong set of tests, gave me someone else's test results and failed to file the paperwork for a referal). Lovely private Dr kept his clinic open for an extra hour on the day that I called in order to see us straight away. He started from scratch on all the tests. He then managed to get us back in to the NHS system for some of the treatment. Definitely worth giving your nearest clinic a call to discuss your options. Best of luck with it all.

I dont think all hospitals even do ivf/infertility. Certainly our city centre one doesnt.
The hfea site will say what each does.
My clinic says gp needs to refer even for private, unless youve had ivf elsewhere, but would think its different if youre just looking at investigations.
It may be worth changing his gp, as i wonder if it could affect eligibility for ivf on nhs.

If you are paying yourself you don't need to be referred, you contact a clinic yourself. You will however need to have had all the tests done, so you may as well get them done at your GP if you can. Can't your DH go to his GP separately and explain the circumstances? Personally if you qualify for NHS assistance Id stick with it and save yourself £8k until you really need to spend it.

I was in the same position as you a few years ago. I used this website www.hfea.gov.uk as a starting point as to where I could get treatment.

Have tests done at the doctors if you can, and they will refer you to the nearest clinic/hospital if they think it appropriate/necessary. You could self-refer privately and have tests done at the clinic/hospital anyway, but you'll end up paying a fortune for this (as well as driving back and forth to get the tests done).