IVF at Guy's & St. Thomas' & general process/timeline

[Lill02]

Hi all,

This is my first ever post, but I've been following for a while. :)

After having all the usual tests, including a hycosy and hysteroscopy, we were diagnosed with unexplained infertility a while ago. We have now finally waited long enough to be eligible for IVF on the NHS. We've got an appointment back at Guy's & St. Thomas' tomorrow (we had to see the GP and ask to be referred back as we've now waited the required time frame).
I'm not 100% sure what will happen tomorrow, but I'm basically hoping they will agree we've waited the required time and suggest we get the ball rolling for IVF, i.e. fill in our funding application, etc. I'm really hoping this will happen, I can't face being sent away again after we've waited so long...
What have your experiences been? Does that sound like realistic next steps? Has anyone been at Guy's & St. Thomas' and can share their timeline?

Thank you!

@Welshpea that's even more exciting!!
Ahhhh good luck with it all, really looking forward to hearing how it goes & hoping we're not far behind! Crazy how positive a bit of news like that can make you feel isn't it?

Great news @Welshpea! 😃

Hey ladies, so glad things are now moving along for you.

@GJW2018 do you mind me asking, are you NHS direct with Guys or satellite clinic? Also are you having IVF or is it PGD too? Just trying to make sense of the waiting times etc.

We are NHS funded direct with Guys for IVF and PGD xxx

@GJW2018 I didn't see your message yesterday but I am now even more excited!!
I don't know about anyone else but it's actually starting to possibly become a bit real & a bit scary!

@Etonmess20 definitely a bit scary but super excited!
@Kit82 we are NHS and referred from GP to Guys 3 years ago and were supposed to start IVF in 2019 so it’s been a lonnnggg wait. They ‘lost’ our referral from then so we were re-referred in May 2020. After our 1st Feb appointment was cancelled it was radio silence once again but after a moany email they gave us an appointment in under a week! We were really happy with the appointment on Tuesday and walked away super excited. I’m in the middle of my cycle now so should work out not my next cycle but the following should be the one. I have PCOS so he suggested would likely be retrieval, fertilise and then freeze all and follow up with an FET the following cycle so still a while a way but SO excited for some movement/momentum! Hopefully we’ll all ended up cycling around a similar time and catch up on here

Sorry I meant to say we’re not PGD xx

Thanks @GJW2018 that's really exciting!

I remember now from chatting to you before that you'd had a 'lost' referral same as us but it was Addenbrooks that messed our referrals to Guys up so we've been delayed. So frustrating isn't it.

I hadn't heard anything from Guys since I had that email I shared on here about them postponing some of the treatments in the height of the second Covid wave. I called so many times over the last few weeks, couldn't take anymore so I made a complaint and surprise surprise they called me back!! I've learnt you have to be quite strong willed with them for a response!

I'm guessing as we have to have PGD on top of our IVF maybe that's why our wait is longer. We had our initial appointment early Dec 2020, was told last week should be starting June time, seems like a life time away but will just keep busy until then.

Was going to email them again this evening to chase them up see if that helps.

Best of luck everyone, lets keep in touch xxx

It’s definitely worth complaining. Had I not have sent that email last week there’s no way I would’ve had the appointment this week which made me really cross that you have to complain to get anywhere. I spoke to the consultant about it and he said we would have still had it even though I’d had no communication from them whatsoever. He said he was told on Monday that the wait from appointment to starting treatment has dropped from 4 months to 6 weeks so it might be sooner now? Definitely chase it up with them xx

So glad we're all getting appointments now! I just had a VM from them saying they were calling to make an appointment. Surely funding is not in already?! It was only requested on the 17th feb! 😱 but what else can it be?! I've called bk but have to wait for them to call again to find out what they wanted. 😬

That’s amazing! They’re definitely a lot more on it now!
So exciting!

@GJW2018 they certainly are! Got a callback this morning and fundings been approved! Our first appointment is 6th April! 😬😃

Congratulations to all with appointments! So exciting to see progress!
Still nothing for us yet, trying not to get disheartened as forms were submitted 28th Jan - guess it's likely different CCGs may take different times to approve. We also haven't been TTC 3 years quite yet (which I believe is a requirement for us) so possible that may affect it perhaps!

@Etonmess20

Congratulations to all with appointments! So exciting to see progress! Still nothing for us yet, trying not to get disheartened as forms were submitted 28th Jan - guess it's likely different CCGs may take different times to approve. We also haven't been TTC 3 years quite yet (which I believe is a requirement for us) so possible that may affect it perhaps!

Yes congrats everyone! My forms were submitted in the first couple days on Feb and I haven't heard anything yet...for SW London. So yes I imagine different CGCs are moving at different speeds. Good luck!

@Vparisi I'm SE London so make sense, just frustrating isn't it? When I spoke to them around 3 weeks ago they'd say 2-4 months from form submission so we're still within those time frames

Hope everyone is doing well

We are in SE London and submitted our forms beginning of September and got a call December for a Feb initial appointment. So was roughly 3 and a half months between submitting forms and being phoned for an appointment xx

@GJW2018 thank you, gives me a bit more of an idea for this area

Hi all - had my clinical appointment today. Basically form signing, blood test for me and my partner and an internal scan. and then a bit of information about the IVF process. They didn’t make any protocol decisions or show us injections as the waiting list from the first appointment to start is currently 4 months. But I do think they over estimate based on experience so far! So hopefully not that long
Hope you are all well and enjoying the sunshine !

@Welshpea thanks for sharing your experience. Is your funding approved? My letter says you have to start treatment within 3 months of the letter, (which we got a few weeks ago) and we go in next week. I'm really hoping it's to discuss protocols and drugs etc as we had the blood tests at the first appointment. I didn't get a scan though. I did an afc scan privately and have the print out so will share that with them and hope for the best! Will report bk next week.

@notyetamumbuttrying

Yes my funding is all approved. Mine also says that but i believe first appointment with Guys is the “start” of the process. They will likely scan you again as they use it as a base to the next time you’re in to see if there are any changes before treatment. How long did you wait between your first and getting your second appointment date?

X

@Welshpea first appointment was 22nd feb. I had a call before this tho on the 17th feb and that's when funding was requested. (I had 2 requests going through for some convoluted reason that I won't go into) so the 22nd appointment was bloods and a chat. Should've been SA too but they ballsed that up and he had to go bk a few days later for that. So in total it was 4 weeks for funding to be approved and a further 3 weeks for the next appointment which is a week today now. Very eager to get going now! Turned 35 last week and it's been 18 months ttc now. Time is ticking on 😂

Hi All, I am totally new to Mumsnet. After being referred to Guys in November, I have been contacted for my first video appointment next week. Does anyone have any idea what this will entail. I havent filled out any funding forms etc but was asked to fill out a survey. Anyone have an idea on timescales after this. We were due to have private IVF (despite barely being able to afford it) this month thinking nhs wouldnt come back for months so very confused what to do.

@Bubbafever

Hi All, I am totally new to Mumsnet. After being referred to Guys in November, I have been contacted for my first video appointment next week. Does anyone have any idea what this will entail. I havent filled out any funding forms etc but was asked to fill out a survey. Anyone have an idea on timescales after this. We were due to have private IVF (despite barely being able to afford it) this month thinking nhs wouldnt come back for months so very confused what to do.

Welcome @Bubbafever . I had my video appointment in late Jan and took about an hour and 15 (but I have a very extensive medical history so yours may not be as long). I would advise reading your CGCs funding policy first so you don't slip up and say anything that will get funding denied. I was told 6 month wait after that and haven't heard anything yet. I contacted them the other day and they said they are still going through September requests for funding. So who knows..

Thanks Vparisi. Did you go through funding etc at the first appointment? Fingers crossed you hear soon! X

Hi guys, thought I'd update you on what happened today. The first appointment since fundings been approved.

He said the wait to start treatment is 2-3 months. All consent forms are now signed, had an afc scan, virology bloods, urine sample given and discussed protocols and ivf process. He said folic acid/pregnacare is enough to take in terms of supplements. He didn't understand how dhs sperm had got so good, which is why we got the referral in the first place! He asked him if he'd missed the pot the first time round 😂 I said about the supplements and no smoking, less booze etc but he was still quite taken aback with the improvement!

@notyetamumbuttrying that's such good news, thanks for sharing, it's nice to know what to expect

Got a call around 2pm today from ACU to ask if DP & I could attend our top of the list appointment tomorrow at 2pm (cancellation) but my DP had a really important work meeting he couldn't move (he did try). Absolutely gutted & have come upstairs to ugly cry. She's booked us in for May 4th so at least it's not too long away but still feel a bit heartbroken 😢