IVF in Scotland

[itsLKtoday]

Hello, good evening!

How quickly can I access and start iui or IVF treatment in Scotland?

The GP finally referred us after 22 months of trying in November and we have our first appointment at Edinburgh Fertility Clinic in just over two weeks. She could have done the referral after 6 months as I was 36 at that point but she didn't realise she could, said she couldn't and there was no further options. She refused to do so as a private patient, even when I found out that she definitely could, asked me to wait for months to hear back from a completely unrelated consultant then once she did and I called to ask for it it to be done, she "forgot" for 6 weeks by which time all tests had to be done again. I asked at that point again to be referred as a private patient but she said the waiting time for first appointment was the same list and same length of time.

This has seriously affected my mental health, social life, children's lives and I lost my job partly because of my performance as I couldn't think about anything else for about 3 weeks a month.

We have got two children who were conceived first try both times with no planning or trying.

This appointment is via NHS and is for fertility investigations.
At this point (25 cycles) we just want to move on.
This weekend we found out 4 friends are expecting in the summer.
I need to know if I can have a baby or not and we're happy to pay to find out and for at least one round of iui or IVF.

After the initial appointment what happens next?
How quickly are investigations carried out?
How quickly will we start treatment?
Is it quicker to be a private patient and can we swap to that?
Is it worth starting with another clinic?

I love my children dearly, of course I do. We're both from big families and three was always the plan. I just feel so useless and worthless now that I suddenly can't do something I used to be able to do and it's affecting us so deeply.

Thank you for reading.

Sorry to hear you’re going through such a hard time, must be so hard.

I mean this in the nicest way possible - but ivf or iui does not guarantee a baby, and if you're so stressed out by ttc your third child that you’ve lost your job and it’s affecting your existing children’s lives - I think you need some counselling. Ivf is incredibly stressful and heartbreaking and can take years for some - counselling may bring you more peace and your children’s happiness is surely a priority. Good luck on your journey.

Thank you.

I'm sure I probably do need help. I take antidepressants which helps a bit but I heard today that 4 friends are all expecting in the summer.

I also feel like I need to know what is wrong with me before being able to mentally process if it's at all possible to become pregnant or not.
My children are happy and content but of course they must see that I get upset sometimes and for the first year of trying I was planning everything around where I'd be in my cycle and what might happen and might not so there's events they don't realise they missed out on.
The GPs complete incompetence caused a huge amount of the stress.

I just need to know roughly what the timescales are so that I can start to consider options.

(chatting on 2 threads now! But...) We're in the same area and I don't think your GP could have referred you after 6 months. I am pretty sure the Edinburgh Fertility Clinic wouldn't have accepted you until 12 months.

We had blood tests (me) and sperm analysis (DH) in advance of the referral. Assuming you're the same?

At the initial appt, the doctor discussed our test results (all 'normal') and I had an internal scan (all looked ok). Basically the only option available after this is IVF, which is self funded as we have DD.

He offered to refer me for an HSG, which I accepted. The waiting list for this is about 3 months - but he recommended that I call the x-ray dept each week to check if any cancellations. They do HSGs on Thursday. You can only have it if there's no chance you can be pregnant and you don't have your period (so they do get a lot of cancellations). After referral mid Dec, my HSG appt came through for mid-March. However, I managed to get a cancellation for mid-Jan.

We're not yet on the IVF waiting list but he said it was about 3 months for self-funded. If we opted to use the Glasgow private clinic, that would be about 2 months I think he said.

After the initial appt, I got a follow up letter (which took about a month to arrive - there's serious admin delays I think) which just repeated what the appt discussed and said he'd follow up in the new year after my HSG. I called last week and they couldn't tell me when that would be but I'd get a letter.

I was NHS with Ninewells. I started treatment 13 months after my gp referral, we had been TTC for 2 years at that point. However, if you or your partner already have children I don’t think you are eligible for NHS funding.

I would get in touch with some private clinics- my friend is having treatment in Glasgow and has been very pleased with her care. It all moved very quickly, however, her cycle had to be delayed to fit in with NHS patients.

IVF is an absolute rollercoaster, as recommended by the previous poster, getting some support before you venture on that path might not be the worst thing. Decide with your partner what your limits are (financial, physically, emotionally etc). Best of luck xx

Just FYI before you appt - you can't get mobile data in the hospital so take screenshots of your app charts or note things down before you go. I was planning just to scroll through my app dates but nothing would load.