Coronavirus and fertility clinics.

[mabel92]

Has anyone’s fertility clinic told them they will close due to Coronavirus? I’m due to start treatment and now confused as what to do or whether I’ll be able to start. Thanks.

Just had another call from Create as they are starting to log all active patients next cycle day 1 - he reckoned following an update from their MD this morning that they'll be reopen sooner than they initially thought! 🤞🥳

Hi all. I just wanted to let you know fertility clinics in Ireland are reopening on May 6th. Lots of new strict guidelines but going ahead with treatments.

In case you want to contact your own clinics and let them know - might give them an extra push!

However all clinics are private in Ireland and there is no government funding so that might make a difference but it’s no harm to contact them and say other countries are getting going again.

This is great news, things are looking positive. I really do hope we follow suit with Ireland. 🤞🏼

I'm still very much in the dark about my treatment which i was having in Greece. I know Greece has started to ease off lockdown but this doesn't involve clinics just yet.

I was hoping to start off a new cycle but I'm not sure if I should just give up on doing this abroad and go with a clinic locally 🤷🏻‍♀️

@Dia12 I would definitely investigate a local clinic. As I envisage it will be longer for flights to get going again and would worry about having to isolate/quarantine in a new country for two weeks and then two weeks upon returning home.

@Zenzenzenzen

That's great news for Ireland - judging from what I've heard today I don't think private clinics in the U.K. will be far behind - more a matter of weeks than months x

Yeh, exactly my worry @zen. I probably should get the ball rolling again over here and keep all options open.
So sad that it has come to this, as if it wasn't stressful enough - now I feel almost dumb struck with fear and anxiety.

Hi @Dia12, we have 'met' before. My clinic in Spain opened on Monday.
I totally understand though the worry about travelling abroad for treatment and the extra stress involved.

People arriving in the UK are not currently being asked to quarantine, though of course it could change.

Have a think about whether you'd consider a local clinic, or if you were very happy with your Greek clinic if you feel able to wait a while.

I have a Skype appointment with my clinic soon and will see what the plan is.
There are flights available now but I wouldn't travel just yet. DH and I need to discuss what needs to be in place for us to feel ready to go again.

Yes! I do remember you. That must be such a relief for you @JeNeBaguetteRien especially considering how extreme the situation was in Spain. Do you know if you have any quarantine limit imposed on people travelling to Spain?

My clinics reply but the last update was 16th of April. Then total radio silence.

@Dia12 yes it's a relief they are open again, they are seeing fewer patients as they are cleaning consultation rooms between appointments, and some other precautions.
There is currently no quarantine on arrival in Spain, the Spanish government are advising people to fly rather than trying to cross France by land.
That said obviously getting coronavirus on the journey or whilst there would be a risk, and would put paid to treatment, and could obviously have more serious consequences than that, so really need to weigh up what level of risk we are comfortable with.

That’s great to hear some clinics in other country’s are starting to open. My clinic is just echoing what the HFEA are saying so it’s still a waiting game.

Just heard back from my clinic having sent a message asking about plans for resuming treatment. She said there are 'murmerings' about it but obviously couldn't be more specific. I asked how treatment is likely to be prioritised when it restarts. She said if you received a phonecall telling you your treatment was cancelled, you will probably be prioritised. (I didn't, was planning to start on my next cycle - now wishing I'd had the foresight to lie and say my cycle has started when it was clear clinics we're about to shut.) She also said lower risk treatments like FETs and IUIs are likely to start before fresh cycles, due to the risk of OHSS putting extra strain on the NHS.

Now feeling more despondent than I have in a while. 😔 Had allowed myself to get my hopes up a bit in the last few days, and had even entertained the idea of starting on Day 21 of my next cycle. 😢

Just updating on this forum. I've just had a Zoom support meeting with my clinic (Chelsea and Westminster ACU) and it sounds like clinics are getting prepared but there is yet to be a green light. The HFEA is apparently having an extraordinary board meeting today so there might be an outcome from that shortly. It's clear that nothing will happen until the government/HFEA give the go ahead and it seems to be that their stance is rather cautious in comparison to other European countries (including Ireland which is of course still in the EU). I imagine this is partly because the government was not as proactive early on in getting on top of coronavirus which has led us to have the highest death toll in Europe and so they are now being more conservative about the transition to some sort of normality.

Sorry to jump in, I shared this on a different thread in here, but there is hope... Rumblings on Instagram that clinics will reopen from 11 May 🤞🌈 🙏

I believe there will be an announcement later today. It's certainly given me a bit of a lift today :)

Opening the week of 11 of May!!! HFEA has just Twittered!!!

Thank you for the update ladies, this thread has been so helpful ❤

Just seen the update!!!!!! So happy! Means I should be able to start once I get cycle day 1 around the 25th May! 🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳

Thanks for sharing @VenusStarr! I got so excited I just called my clinic who have been very underwhelming in their response. They said there is no agreement to open all clinics on the 11th and that the hfea will be consulting with each clinic and their corresponding NHS trust individually to plan a timetable for reopening. Each NHS Trust will have to agree that they have the resources to deal with any complications /pregnancies before clinics are allowed to reopen, and the HFEA will have to be satisfied that the clinics have safe working practices in place before being allowed to restart. She told me to call back next week and they might have some more info.

Just seen HFEA update - clinics can apply to reopen from the 11th!

www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/covid-19-and-fertility-treatment/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-patients/

Whilst it's good news things are moving forward, clinics can only apply to reopen w/c 11 May, so it could still be a while longer thereafter before they actually open again. Who knows what the time lag will be. Hopefully not very long.

I know HFEA always needs to make complicated statements. I have Twittered to ask for clarification but they don't respond directly to messages (I've messaged them at least once a day for this last month). I think what they are doing is making sure that clinics that do not want (or cannot) open yet do not have to and can argue that they don't satisfy HFEA standards. So for some of us there might be still a while to wait. Frustrating. But at least we have a bit of clarity and hope that this isn't going to last as long as some (me including) were dreading. Hang in there

@Matilda128 Thanks for your take on the issue. I personally feel that the HFEA are employing stalling tactics. There is pressure on them, and there has been a lot of media coverage on this topic, so they want to make it look like they are doing something. In reality, what they are saying today is that in 10 days clinics can apply to reopen. In practice, what does that mean? How long and convoluted will the application process be I wonder? Once applications have been made, will they promptly be acted upon or will the HFEA sit on them? Will clinics open one by one once applications have been approved or will the HFEA need to go through them all first (100s of them!! Do they even have capacity for this?) It is all, in my opinion, very unsatisfactory. Clinics elsewhere - Australia, Ireland, Germany, etc - have simply been told they can reopen - not that they can partake in an application process on an undetermined timescale. Our clinics here had already been told to put various measures in place to meet criteria pertaining to greater protection in light of Covid 19. This, to me, feels like overkill, and appears to be politically motivated rather than patient-focused.

I wouldn't be surprised that clinics will use the next 10 days to prepare their application to reopen so I don't think there will be as much stalling as you think. I'm pretty sure it will be a statement of how they are able to maintain safe working practices for patients and staff - I don't think it can/will be very complicated

• staggering patient times to ensure social distancing in waiting room

• perhaps sanitisers when entering and leaving

• masks and gloves during treatment - gloves they already use anyway so just masks

• treatment of high risk patients for OHSS May not go ahead for a while or option of lower dose drugs maybe?

• no face to face consultations perhaps for the time being since most clinics have been doing these via video link. Patients coming into the clinic will be treatment only

Lots of options but I don't think onerous

This is a positive step and better than the blanket "no treatment" we have had for the last few weeks.

This has just gone up on Creates website so they are confidant of reopening that week

To be honest the owner of Create has been the most vocal and critical of suspending treatment and was obviously working on this behind the scenes to enable a swift opening

I actually feel really lucky now to have chosen a clinic like Create

On today's Covid 19 BBC briefing Matt Hancock has just announced that NHS fertility treatments are to resume from May 11th.