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.

Great news on everyone able to cycle this month and @ivfgottostaypositive hope you get to do your last cycle now your clinic is open 🤞

@Wesstywoo good luck, we might as well give it a try!

@Simz01 doing fine but just keen to have a plan! Nothing from clinic yet but I doubt I’ll hear unless I call myself. I had to call them to get confirmation to stop drugs for my FET. I’m giving it until mid- end of week to call in for an update. That’s great about CRGH, that’s the other clinic I was thinking of. I’m still hanging onto the hope current clinic will open too.. How was the mini consult? Was it much like a normal consultation but just on the phone? I think I may book a private consultation if they have nothing to update me on from Hammersmith by end of this week.

@HJF84

That's interesting - maybe I'll mention it then when I start that other branches are still sending it out but I guess be prepared that they say you shouldn't take it (but then again they wouldn't know if you decided to take it anyway?)

Hi @ivfgottostaypositive I was prescribed prednisone as part of my protocol before my fresh transfer was cancelled in March. I now have my protocol for the frozen transfer and Care Manchester have said they aren't prescribing it for at least 12 months.

@Waitingformyrainbow2020

Yeah 12 months minimum is what I've been told too - I've always taken it for my transfers too - both fresh and frozen.

(Since I've had a few failed transfers I'm not too concerned about not taking it as it obviously made no difference last year! 🤣 )

@Lemongrass1 glad you are doing well and fully understand the need for a plan! I really wish there was some indication of timelines to be decisive , as so many things to consider.

I really liked CRGH. The mini consult was good, but didn’t give much away regarding my own treatment or plan, was more of an overview. So I am going to chase my clinic and then book a proper consultation with CRGH, and send past blood results etc if feedback from Guys is that they will be many months or if they are still vague. Will do the same as yourself and chase this week i think.

They did say they can start soon though , and I see that they are up on HFEA site as clinic that was been approved to go ahead

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

So HFEA are announcing the clinics that passed as they go?

@mabel92

Yeah looks like those that have approval are being named and maybe they'll Update daily?

HFEA have a section on the website and once approved put them on there. I thought it was strange that one was already on there at lunchtime yesterday considering they only opened up the application yesterday

Hi @Simz01 I gave CRGH another call today and they didn’t think a mini consult would be of any benefit as we are already established in treatment. They said they could book a new consult but given they haven’t decided yet what their capacity is or how long it would be before they could start treating new patients, they would prefer I call back next week for an update when they’d have a better idea of wait lists etc before committing to anything. I appreciate their honesty but it’s so depressing to keep hearing the message ‘call back in 1-2 weeks’. I think we are in a bit of a rock and hard place and with the best will in the world, won’t be doing the FET for at least a few months whether we stay put or move clinics 😭

if you are checking HFEA they have already approved more today so hopefully lots more will apply to open

Cambridge IVF
The Centre for Reproductive and Genetic Health (CRGH)
CREATE Fertility, Birmingham
CREATE Fertility, Bristol
CREATE Fertility, Manchester
CREATE Fertility, London St Paul's
CREATE Fertility, London Wimbledon
Kings Fertility
Reproductive Health Group

Thanks for sharing @MrsLouB I was hoping to transfer clinics from Create St Paul's to Wimbledon so I don't have to take public transport - so I'm pleased they have been able to open this clinic. I feel very relieved!

Mote been put on list

@Hoping1 you just made my day thank you mines on there now x

I just keep checking it they said would take 5 working days they are on the ball approving them hope you hear soon mine not on yet xxx

hope they will soon for you Hoping1

Is anyone on this thread waiting to have IUI?
I have been told that my clinic (Chelsea and Westminster Assisted Conception Unit) will be prioritising IVF upon opening and not IUI, which I'm not very happy out! This feels especially odd as I was told in March, when treatment stopped just before lockdown, that I would be on the priority list for reopening.
I just wondered if anyone has experienced this elsewhere?
I'm still registered with LWC in Harley Street so I was wondering whether to try back there - is anyone here with them and is there any update?

@AnnaLCox

How many monitoring scans during IUI do you have to have? If it's more than IVF maybe they are thinking that by not doing it they are reducing numbers of patients in the clinic? Plus they will have much bigger waiting lists for IVF so they've got to get through more patients (who also tend to be on a bit of an age deadline for likely success)

With my more cynical hat on IUI is a LOT cheaper than IVF and also has much lower success rates so from a financial and ratings point of view they are not prioritising it because it makes them less money maybe?

@ivfgottostaypositive - IUI is very straightforward really - you have scans at 8 and 12 days and then go back when you get the LH surge for a scan and the procedure. Some clinics don't even bother with the first scan but C&W does the 8 day one. It requires much less time than IVF. I understand that IVF people may also be 40 plus to on a deadline but I don't see why they should go before IUI patients - the clinic should proceed with both in my view on a priority basis in terms of age and where people were in the queue before this happened.
Interesting what you say about the financial aspect. I'm wondering if this could be a factor. IUI may be cheaper but it's less work (essentially £1000 for a quick procedure and two scans) so it's all relative in terms of taking up clinical time surely?

@Hoping1 that’s made my day too!!! I’m pretty surprised to see our clinic on there. Will call tomorrow to see if there’s any update on when they might start treatments 🤞🤞🤞🤞🤞

@AnnaLCox it is very unfair that you are no longer prioritised after having your treatment stopped. In an interview with the chair of HFEA it was mentioned that a woman had been told by her clinic that patients with higher success rates would be treated first. The chair said this was outrageous but suggested there was nothing they could do. I've been wondering if it's also true at my clinic- I have very little chance of success and have not heard from my clinic since they cancelled my treatment. But other people have already had phone calls and been told how their treatment will continue.

@Matilda128 I'm flabbergasted by that, I really am! It makes me wonder whether everything clinics do is motivated by money and success rates. I deliberately moved away from my Harley Street clinic because it felt like women were treated like cash cows, but now I'm starting to wonder whether they are all the same. The reasoning behind taking IVF patients first just made no sense to me. I wonder now whether they're just trying to get as many IVF patients through as they can to recoup financial losses. I'm going to write an email to my clinic and if I don't receive a satisfactory response I might even have to think about going back to my previous one. Oh my, and people wonder why single women go looking for sperm on Facebook these days!!! Wouldn't that be just so much easier???! LOL

Thats what on right now few more added. I am pleased I made your day I am buzzing for you ladies just hope mine on soon xxx

@AnnaLCox I completely agree with you. After the last few months I have really lost my faith in the fertility industry in the UK. I have read about so many different experiences of patients and it all seems so unfair. I didn't hear about finding sperm on Facebook- maybe I should give that a go

@AnnaLCox

I'm surprised there isn't a more comprehensive way of prioritising really rather than just the clinic saying IUI is at the bottom of the queue - I know some clinics had said those that had their cycles (collection or transfer) cancelled mid way through would be allowed first slots

Create didn't straight out cancel cycles or transfers mid way through and most patients were given the chance to continue at their own risk so I'm guessing that's why there isn't a similar priority order