Wales IVF Wait times

[NovA08]

Hi all

I just need somewhere to vent my current experience and ask if anyone has been made a priority on the list and if so, how long was your wait?

My Husband and i have been trying to conceive for roughly 2 and and a half years. We decided that due to my age it would be best to ask the GP for help.

I first made the call to my GP August 2022 and got to see him in October. He asked for bloods and seamen tests, which was done in the December.
Went back to my Gp in the January where he then referred us to the fertility nurse (not fertility clinic). We had our appointment late march with the nurse, same questions etc.. She then booked me for the ultra sound which she said the doctor should have arranged months before.
She also then referred us to the fertility clinic and this is where my frustration lies.

I had my Ultra sound and internal examination in May and then the first fertility clinic appointment at the end of May. During this appointment she basically said that at the clinic they like to do all teats all over again as they like to use their own. She didnt even ask about the results for the ultra sound i just had. I felt meeting the fertility nurse was all a waist of time, literally.

To top it off , the wait is now 12 months before the next step.
However, i told them that, that would then make me 4 months before turning 40 , before i can start treatment. (they reducing age limit to 40 on the NHS in Wales) .
Luckily i mentioned that because she said she will now put me as priority. But no idea what that time frame is.

Vent over :) really is a long game.
Anyone with the same experience?

@NovA08 I am also NHS Wales and initially started the process of getting looked at with my GP before Covid. I was initially seen November 2019 by the local fertility clinic who referred me to go forward with IVF. Due to Covid hitting just a few months later I was on hold but have to be honest the process started up quite quickly once everything reopened. Once it reopened it was approx. 4/5 months from being seen to starting the treatment. I did do some private tests in the meantime to save time, semen analysis, hycosy etc.
These were used but they will request an up to date semen analysis and pelvic scan, they also will do bloods every 3 months until you actually have your first collection which then the bloods are on file for 2 years.
Be warned it doesn't go any faster when your approved, between treatments can take 3/4 months.
Hope you don't have to wait the full 12 months, good luck :)

Thank you for replying @SH998 :)

After reading back at what i wrote, i feel like a bit of a moaner especially when their are people who have had to wait even more due to Covid.

I think it was just the shock of being told there is now a wait of 12 months before we can start treatments, because we didn't see this coming.
Initially i knew there was wait of up to 6 months before the fertility clinic get in contact and then from there , we thought it would be full steams ahead. Being told, you meet the criteria to start testing for treatment but wont begin for 12 months, was a blow.

Can i just ask about the private testing. Was it worth it for you? i'm just thinking If the clinic want tests doing again at their clinic, how does this save time.

@NovA08 hey you moan away, its heartbreaking that we are in this situation but with the additional wait added to it, its definately another blow, made worse by our ages (I am nearly 40). I was advised the wait was 4/5 months (which was obviously delayed by Covid) but I would still say its been a relatively quick process once you get started although my partner might not agree with me constantly stressed and moaning about it lol.
As for the private tests, it was worth it to me as the internal scan/semen analysis/hycosy all came back clear which helped my mental state. Knowing that physically there was no major issue made the wait to see the NHS more bearable, I felt I was doing something which gave me that little bit of hope. Also, there was a waiting time for the HyCosy via the NHS, as I have unexplained (partner is fine) I knew they would request this from me before proceeding so would have saved us some time.
Feel free to ask anything you wish, these forums really helped me when I first started my treatment.

@SH998

Oh i see, of course! that makes sense, to get the tests done for piece of mind.

The fertility nurse mentioned nothing about the HyCosy test, only the Ultra Sound and bloods on my first visit.

Good job i opened this thread. I think now i have excepted. its not as straight forward as i first thought and to just try and be patient .

I read one lady say on here somewhere, to not stop living. Enjoy that holiday, have that glass of wine, it will come.
I'll give that ago :)

Where are you now in the process , if you dont mind me asking ?

@NovA08 I was the same as you, thought once I was approved it would be plain sailing, unfortunately that's the easy side of it. I'm sure there are many out there who fly through the process and get the outcome they desperately want first time but I haven't been that lucky.
You do need to continue living a normal life and enjoying this time, this IVF has consumed me for years, I have gone without holidays for fear of missing an appointment and delaying the process - that mindset hasn't done me any favours.
I think they would only recommended a HyCosy if it appears to be a female issue, my partner has 2 children and his semen results were fine. They suggested this first off hoping that my tubes were blocked and this was the issue, its probably a far cheaper option which is easily fixed rather than the IVF route. they will advise when they have done your scans/bloods if this is required. Luckily the NHS accepted my private results when I produced them so didn't have to wait for this to be done.
I'm currently waiting for my period (end of this month) to begin my 4th transfer. The first collection ended in a pregnancy on the first transfer but miscarried at 8 weeks, another FET from that round failed in November. I had the second collection in February and had a double transfer but both failed to implant. Luckily we still have 3 embryos left from the last collection so will be trying again.
WeRe you offered 2 collections via the NHS?

@SH998

Your on your 4th transfer and heres me moaning about a few months . Sounds like you have had quite the journey so far.
I can only imagine how it has effected you mentally.

Yes we have been offered 2 rounds. I cant believe how different everything is depending on your location. Sounds absolute bonkers . But i not complaining as i think some only offer 1.

We think we know our issue and its the low sperm count so far, which they have said , they can work with. So yes, maybe wont be needing the HyCosy.

Fingers crossed for your 3 Embyros 🙏

I’m so sorry to hear this. We had similar. My AMH is prematurely low age 34 and we were advised to crack on. Given that my DH and I made decision to go privately as there was every possibility that by time Welsh NHS allowed us to proceed my AMH would have fallen to level that then made me ineligible (cruel irony). We went for a 3 cycle refund package. No regrets! Realise we are fortunate to have family to help out financially though.

Hi @Enfys23
Can I ask how quick the process was, from making the first call and starting treatments?
Sounds like you had success?
3 cycle refund, sounds interesting.

Hi @NovA08 with going private we started within the same month. We had a Hycosy through them 3 months previously and decided we would see if that helped first so continued TTC but when things didn’t progress we had a review and then set up to start our first cycle within the same month. So it was very quick. Some clinics like CARE do their own refund or multicycle packages. Others use Access. The only issue is you cannot do embryo batching. You have to use all the embryos made from one egg collection before moving on to the next.
Sadly no success yet. But with making this decision ,if this final cycle from the package doesn’t work, we will have £12,000 back to fund our next steps. I know others who have had NHS failed cycle and then couldn’t get the refund package (as you can’t get them if history of failed cycles i think). As we’ve not had success within first 2 cycles (number we’d get on NHS) we feel it was worth it. Plus just for the speed and less hassle.
hope that helps x

Hi @Enfys23
Thank you again for your reply.
After your message I had a search for Private costs etc and what they had to offer. It's great that they offer different packages and the refund packages. It's really good that they do that.
I was actually considering private tests to move things along. However, it seems they are now in fact moving little quicker than I thought.
They originally said I would have to wait 12 months before going forward but when I pointed out my age they put me on priority. Me thinking the worst, I was expecting to be contacted in 6 months maybe at least. However, I'm actually now booked in for 4 weeks time to do all the tests etc..
I was close to using my life savings.
(I might still have to yet as we don't know how things will go)
But thank you for the information, will be handy, if we have to go down the private root 😊

Not sure if any one watches real house wife's of Beverly Hills but there is a lady called Diane on there and she has given birth at 48. That's 10 years my senior. That gives me hope when I'm worrying about time.