Referral to a fertility clinic -waiting time

[Vicky6512]

Hello all and I hope you are well. Well few things to discuss here…

To start with ,last year I had a miscarriage -still convinced it was my fault because I was worried about pregnancy going well, however that’s a whole different discussion .
Since that I haven’t got pregnant again (still wondering why as first time I got pregnant very quickly) . On May 2023 I started doing some tests through my local GP to see what’s going on. Blood and hormone tests came all back normal , ultrasound scan was very good and my husband’s semen analysis was normal . So last week I contacted my local GP to refer me to a fertility clinic. I live in Bedfordshire. Does anyone live in this area , who was given a referral for a fertility clinic recently? What were the next steps and the waiting time to finally have IVF?

I will appreciate your answers and hope all the best for everyone .

Thanks!

Hi @Vicky6512 I’m afraid I can’t help with advice on waiting times in your area but I do need to have a bit of a rant on this subject!

I’m in a similar position (had all the tests done, everything came back ok for both of us and we’re waiting to be referred for treatment after TTC for 2+ years) and when I spoke to my GP today, I asked some basic questions e.g where are people typically referred to? how long does it typically take? And she didn’t answer any of them. I know it’s not her fault, as GPS aren’t fertility specialists but I thought she may be able to give me something. Or at least a bit of reassurance or compassion. How was your experience?

I’m now wondering if it’s worth waiting. We’re thinking of going private if things don’t start moving as we’re losing precious time and I’ve read other posts on here suggesting it takes around a year from tests starting to actually having the treatment…though I’m sure it varies a lot by area.

Hi @Barbs3116 ! Thanks for your reply . Which area are you in? Well they sent the referral last week so can’t say I have been waiting for long . Fertility clinic also said I need to do a chlamydia test before they take the referral into consideration. So I guess from now on it’s a waiting game … I keep praying to god and have faith for the best , otherwise surely I will go crazy , especially after losing my baby . Not sure I can afford anything private at the moment anyway . Sure you will get there in the end though . It’s got to be that way

Hi @Vicky6512 I’m so sorry to hear that you lost your baby, sending you lots of positive thoughts. I hope that your treatment will go swiftly and smoothly. I’m in Herts, so not too far away from Bucks actually. I agree, it’s so important to have faith and trust that everything will work out. Fingers crossed we’ll both hear back soon. Best of luck 😊

Bedfordshire, not Bucks! Sorry

Thanks @Barbs3116 . I am sure things will work out well for both of us!! Best of luck! I will let you know here if I have any news about the waiting times in my area 😊

so sorry for your loss @Vicky6512, given all tests were good I would suggest request a sperm defragmentation test. After multiple failed cycles we changed clinics and couldn't understand why this test wasn't done as standard

Thanks @Rosequartzz for your reply. That’s interstellar

Hi, first post here, I came across your post and wanted to share my experience. Firstly, really sorry for your loss, and don't blame yourself!
I had some preliminary blood tests through my GP (early-mid June) and was referred to my local hospital, Cumberland Infirmary. Had my first appointment a few weeks ago and have been booked in for all the relevant tests (HSG, US, more bloods). The Consultant told us we are eligible for NHS-funded treatment, but the nearest hospital to me offering IVF is Newcastle. I asked Newcastle Centre for Life what their wait times are for their first appointment, and they responded 7-8 months. That will take us to 1 year since first GP appointment to first tertiary centre appointment. They also said they would need to repeat all the tests I'm having over these few months if too much time has passed until my first appointment with them. I'm so disheartened by how slow everything is and am now considering going overseas for private IVF.
I hope you get your appointments quickly, best of luck!

Hi @Armandi110 this is really useful, thanks so much for sharing your experience. It’s what I was expecting after hearing from others in our position - it seems to be approx a year from first GP appointment to treatment. I’m not sure I have the will (or the time!) to wait that long, so have been looking at mild IVF with companies like Kind and ABC - this is likely the route we’ll take. Wishing you all the best with your journey x

Hey I live in Birmingham. I went to GP at 11 months and had ultrasound, bloods and semen analysis relatively quickly. Fertility appointment at Birmingham Women’s was two weeks ago so it took about 4 months. But the whole thing was a bit underwhelming, clutching at straws and no real next steps. Was looking forward to that being the start of something productive but in the same place as we were before tbh. Just hoping we conceive naturally in the meantime. Been TTC 15 months.

Hey @lilacwine1992 thanks for sharing, I’m sorry you didn’t get the progress you wanted. Have they arranged any follow up or given any indication of timescales, or was the advice to keep TTC naturally?

So I’m waiting for an ultrasound to be repeated. I have a 3cm dermoid cyst on my right ovary which I’ve been told doesn’t affect fertility. But he wants to do a laparoscopy to remove it and check fallopian tubes. His waiting list is 18 months so I’m on a shorter one with a different consultant he said it’s about half of his.

I emailed a private fertility place just to see what happens and they said it’s £130 for 30 min consultation, they’d see me tomorrow at 11 haha. What a difference. They can use all the NHS tests that GP has sent for. Considering after payday tbh.

Waiting is horrible so feel your pain!

@lilacwine1992 ah I see, I suppose in a way it’s progress knowing there are some investigations happening but that’s a long wait to get the treatment you need - particularly if that isn’t clearly linked to infertility. Of course it depends on your circumstances like age, finances etc but that sounds like a good plan to get checked out privately and see if they can shed any more light. Good luck with whatever you choose 😊

Yeah, always like to feel like something productive is going on I suppose! All the best with your journey xx