NHS referral- Homerton or St Barts/ other East London

[LondonladyTTC]

Hi all

My GP is referring me to a fertility clinic and has asked which one I would like to be referred to. She suggested either St Barts or Homerton but could not recommend one or the other. They are both a similar distance from home/ work.

Just wondering if anyone had experience of them/ would have a recommendation? Alternatively, if anyone has another hospital suggestion it would be gratefully received.

Thanks so much.

Hi OP I’d suggest you look up both clinics on the HFEA website for some background information. I had my NHS cycle at Homerton and couldn’t complain about the clinic. I did have a successful cycle there so maybe thats why I’m fond of it. The only thing I would say is that it does feel like you’re on a factory conveyor belt but I was really happy with my care there and the admin side and being able to speak to the nurses etc was a big win.

Hi @LondonladyTTC

I had 2 rounds at St Barts, and they were very different experiences:

First time (Mar/Apr) I wasn't really sure what was going on, didn't really connect with any of the doctors/nurses as they always seemed to be different, but overall felt fine about the treatment. It was a BFN and getting a follow-up appt and figuring out next steps afterwards were a nightmare.

Second time (Aug/Sept) I made sure I asked all the questions all the time and told the nurses everything that made things difficult the first time around... and everything was so, so much better as they were volunteering a lot more info and really trying to make things more comfortable. We got our first ever BFP a few weeks ago so I'm sure that contributes to the better feeling as well.

It's a busy clinic and the admin side is really nerve-wrecking as it feels like you have to chase and keep advocating for yourself constantly. But the medical team and the embryologists are great - you can tell that they're super experienced and are really trying their best.

I would suggest that if you're unsure, you try find out what the waiting lists are like and go with the shorter one. So far I've always found the waiting to be the hardest part of all.

Very, very best of luck!