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.

@ivfgottostaypositive

Thank you, that is my worry as it is NHS hospital, hence delay to start back up, and I imagine an additional delay due to back log of nhs and private patients. Even being private, I don’t expect to be bumped up their list, and understandably so. I am just conscious it will be a very long list.

I think that if I am paying and the time is stressing me out, I may as well consider moving if private clinics are moving. I pay for consultant led , so it’s not any cheaper where I am either - a lot of my decision was based on logistics of where I work (and I like my consultant). Just hard to know when to make a decision (without being too indecisive as my husband says I am!)

Thanks for your input - I might start reaching out to clinics ( just need to decide which) x

Anyone heard from Manchester fertility? When they might open and how they will prioritise?

I just had a call from Create - the questionnaire I filled in last week was basically a "request to start" and was sent out on a first come first served basis so I guess if you are with Create and not received it then there will be a further wait?

The nurse said they'll submit the HFEA forms tomorrow but they don't know how long it will take to get the ok to start treatment - they are hoping it won't be any longer than 2 weeks

Capacity for dealing with patients will Be much lower as they'll have to stagger patients being in the clinic and I'd have to wait in the car outside the clinic until called to come in and would have temperature checked etc and have to sign a disclaimer

The big thing is that I won't be allowed to take prednisolone (steroids) as part of the transfer as it reduces the immune system and ability to fight off Covid if I caught it. This is a blanket policy which will be in place for the foreseeable future - the nurse said could be 12 months so if I was adamant that I wanted to take them I'd have to wait until the ban was lifted.....!

I've decided to continue to treatment without the prednisolone (I was taking it as cautionary only as no current reason to explain my recurrent miscarriages)

I did ask chances of starting this month as don't want to prepare emotionally only to be let down again and she said there is a good chance

I'm not going to get my hopes until i know they are definitely going to be open at least a week before my cycle day 1

@Cleozeta

Is that the one at saint Mary's? I heard there were major issues financially with that clinic and they weren't sure if they'd be able to reopen at all?

@cleozeta there’s an update on the website doesn’t say a lot but sounds like they will be applying as soon as possible. I’m with St Mary’s so keeping an eye on both

www.manchesterfertility.com/coronavirus/

Hello everyone! I just wanted to mention that HFEA has said on their website that it will take 5 working days to process clinics' applications to reopen www.hfea.gov.uk/treatments/covid-19-and-fertility-treatment/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-for-patients/frequently-asked-questions-for-patients-on-coronavirus-covid-19/
Because my clinic works with Norethisterone to regulate cycles I will definitely miss the cut off date for this month. The clinic has confirmed (after I emailed them) that it will be at least the end of June before I can start again. Still seems so far away. Xx

I think that essentially the HFEA announcement has given a lot of people a misplaced hope that the clinics are going to suddenly reopen. As far as I can see, that is not the reality. I think the strategy they've adopted was a means of getting industry voices and the media off their back in the short term which making stretched out plans to get the clinics open in the medium term. What other area of medicine/hospital department is having to make an application to reopen? My clinic said that even once they reopen they won't be doing treatments right away (which leads me to wonder what in fact they will be doing during that time). Don't mean to dispel people's hopes but I think we need to see this for what it is and that there will be no rush to reopen clinics. It's extremely frustrating I know. Every month that goes by is a wasted cycle.

@Matilda128 I think I'll be in the same position as you as I was also prescribed Norethisterone, I was meant to start taking it on my next cycle but my clinic closed a week or so before my cycle was due. Based on my dates I think it'll likely be my cycle at the end of June or July before I can start. My clinic have confirmed they are applying to re-open but I don't have any more information that that.

I have spoken to my clinic today - they are also hoping to be physically open by the end of next week however my adjusted protocol involves the pill so I'm also out for this month. Still it is good to have a rough idea of when the next cycle will be

Hi Ladies, has anyone else spoken to Nuffield IVF Woking? I called them last week and they told me to call back in a week or 2.

I'm a bit behind in this process, we were doing investigations prior and just needed last appointment to put us on the list.

Just wanted to note that I have a video appointment with my clinic (it's an NHS and self funded place as is in a wing at the hospital) a week today so it seems like my clinic are starting to move forward with some things. Will update a week today when appointment is in

Hi all, great to hear some of you are getting communication from your clinics. Hopefully they will be able to start cycles again soon, at least in private sector.

@Simz01 same boat here with private patient at NHS clinic. They told me to call later this week for an update but I’m not that hopeful that they will be up and running soon. Just want a rough guideline as if it’s going to be more that 3 months then I might as well start process for moving embryos as that takes so much time in itself. BTW how did your appt at CARE go last week. The embryologist there told me they hoped they could start a cycle within 3 months if I moved. Hence my 3 month deadline!

Anyone else TTC naturally in interim? It’s probably pointless given I’m
now 41 and it didn’t work after years of trying in my 30s but thought would give it ago anyway...Oddly enough I’m actually able to track the LH surge since having first cycle of ICSI. Never managed it before. Shame it happens now when I’m over 40!

Care fertility Manchester have said they are hoping to start treatments again in June but it could be before that, so they seem hopeful. Fingers crossed things get moving for all of us soon.

Sorry as an update to my message above the website now says they are hoping for the 18th May so that definitely sounds positive.

@Lemongrass1

If I still had both my tubes I'd be trying naturally in the interim - in fact 4 years ago I got pregnant with my only child and found out the day I was due to start injections for IVF then, then last year I fell pregnant naturally in between frozen transfers but miscarried. I figure our eggs are so precious - why waste a potentially good one that month! X

i had my nurse planning today and my clinic are open for testing only like scan etc, they have protocol in place so they have said that once they are submitted to HFEA as they said should get a decision back within 5 days. As long as it is already in place they can open immediately and start booking people in. As in my case if i was to go ahead this cycle i start meds on the 22nd may but i do not have to go into the clinic until the start of June and that only a scan so any procedure is at least 3 weeks away

@Lemongrass1 yes I am - there's no harm in trying and you just never know! 🤞

Simply Fertility in Chelmsford seem to be being quite proactive. We had a cycle halted after EC due to C19 and they called last week to check my cycle dates, I've had a call with my consultant to talk about FET and have a call on Weds to go through the consent form with our nurse. She's hopefully going to book me in for a baseline scan in about a fortnight and said we should be good to go on that next cycle.

I just got a call from my nurse at ABC. I can start my next FET as long as my period doesn’t arrive in the next few days. They have to get the all clear from HFEA before I can legally start any medication. Just have to keep an eye on their website for any updates.

I was due on my period last week, but my cycles are irregular so now I’m hoping I’m as late as I can be so I can start this month!!

Am quite cross with my clinic they ignore emails I just want a rough estimate of how long it will be. I know my clinic is open although NHS most staff were kept at clinic. Its at a doctors surgery so away from hospital.

I have been following this thread from the beginning and have found it to be hugely informative and so helpful through this whole lockdown wait - so thank you all.
I had my third round of IVF cancelled on the day of lockdown (fresh cycle) but had a phone call from my clinic this afternoon who said they will probably be open from the beginning of June so they are compiling a list of priority patients to start around then. My clinic is part of a NHS hospital in London and offers both private & funded treatments (mine is private).
I just thought some of you may find it helpful to know that these types of clinics do appear to be opening in the near future (fingers crossed as I will believe it once I’ve had my baseline scan!!)

Create have just posted they have approval to reopen so that didn't take long at all!

That brill news that happened really quick xxx

@Lemongrass1, hello, how are you doing, did you hear anything from your clinic yet? I didn’t speak to Care in the end. I took a look and did some research and have a mini consultation with Crgh, it works for me logistically as can drive there if still at home and they provide a lot of additional testing which might be useful. Saying that, I am still hoping that Guys open and there is not a huge delay. I am private and consultant led, so I could WhatsApp my consultant , but I don’t want to seem like I am pestering him. I will give it a few days.

Glad to hear clinics are opening , and some of you ladies will be starting again soon - great news ! Hope everyone hears something soon so we can all restart or start our journeys x

@lemongrass1 We're still giving it a go. It hasn't worked for the last three years but it's worth a try!

@ivfgottostaypositive Create sent me predisalone last week. I'll check with the nurse when I speak to her on Friday. Let's hope they allow me to transfer. I'd hate to be getting on a train with a low immune system!!