NHS IVF to Private. What’s what

[wishinghard2]

Hi all

I said the last round would be our last shot but since we came so close we couldn’t not ask the question.

has anyone experienced NHS treatment and then gone private after? If so just wondered what your experience was like? Did you privately find the meds or go through the clinic? Do you need to pay the consultation fees as if you are starting from scratch?

we’re just waiting for an appointment after a chemical at 4+5. This was an nhs cycle but we only managed to get one embryo and so no frozen transfers to follow. We had private treatment year ago but the process seems so foreign again now

thanks

Yes you'll have to start with consults etc as scratch. You also usually have to have one before starting each new cycle/round even when you've been under their care before anyway. I just got meds through their provider (Stork) as it was less faff and when I enquired the price difference with local pharmacies really wasn't that much. When you've spent £7k I figured an extra £100 for the convenience of it all turning up to your door and knowing it will be all the right stuff is not really worth stressing about! Sorry for your chemical, wishing you luck with however you decide to go ahead.

Depending on your clinic. For example, my clinic accepts both NHS and private patients. So in that case, I can imagine you could just continue smoothly. Might be worth asking if your clinic does private treatments . That is of course if you want to stay there.

The private clinic will need your treatment summary from your NHS round. Every area may be different but it took 30 days for my NHS clinic to post them to me. It may be worth requesting these as soon as you can so there are no unnecessary delays.

Hope that helps and best of luck x

Thank you. For is the same clinic does private and NHS funded so
i guess it will be a wait to see what the clinic say at the end consultation :)

Hi OP, I had one cycle with NHS and then went private with Create and then abroad subsequently. You will have to have the initial consultations with the new clinic anywhere you go, so they can assess your profile.

I highly recommend you consider going abroad as I wish somebody told me that after my failed NHS cycle. I also managed to get an initial free consultation with the clinic abroad, so some of them may offer that anyway. I did have to redo some of the bloods in the UK before starting treatment because of the time lapsed. Good luck!

@MsPeony thank you. I hadn’t really considered abroad. Do you have any advise or information that you can point me to regarding this? Many thanks

Hi OP - check this link: https://www.pragamedica.com/medical-treatments/ivf-fertility-treatment

I enquired with them via the online form, they will connect you to the fertility clinic. I then had a free consultation with the doctor via zoom where they did an initial assessment based on the information provided (past stim protocol, response to the protocol, any known diagnosis etc.), then asked for up-to-date blood results.

They will only give you your treatment plan once you have provided the blood results and pay €1,000 deposit. Then it’s just the scans, visits you have to organise. I did the initial scan in the uk but was over in Prague for over a week for the stim and collection. My husband and I treated it like a holiday, Prague is very easy to get around.

There are other options such as Spain and Greece; you just need to google and contact them. I spoke to a GP when I needed blood forms and she told me she had hers done in Spain successfully, and her advice was to not waste my time and money in the uk, wished I spoke to her sooner!

It may feel daunting with the travels and scans but really it’s quite straightforward so definitely look into it. Everything is cheaper even after adding up the airfares and accommodation. I’m actually going back to Prague this week for an ERA (something I wouldn’t pay for in the Uk), preparing for an April FET 🤞🏼