IVF private and NHS

[March2023CH]

I'm on the waiting list for IVF but it's taking forever and as I'm 40 time is running out. I live in Ireland (north) and I was going to try IVF private while waiting but I'm scared it'll take me off the NHS waiting list... I have re searched it and some sites say it will remove me from the NHS waiting list for IVF and others say it won't. I really don't know what to do

If you can afford it I would go private. NHS is one size fits all approach and depending on your reason for needing ivf private would typically cover more bases and move faster, obviously depending on your clinic you choose. If time is critical most women would rather have started sooner. Perhaps reach out to a couple of private clinics to get a consultation? A lot depends on the individuals and reasons for needing IVF too. Hope it all works out xxx

how long have you been on the list @March2023CH? I think if you’ve recently been put on it, I would look at trying to get a private round in if you can? I was 39 when I had my round with RFC and I just don’t think it’s set up for success for women 38+ . I think get your free round but be aware and don’t do private there (it takes longer than NHS route). You should be able to have up to two rounds private before they would exclude you. I also think TFP and In Ovo aren’t the best for 38+. It can be done though, you just need the right clinic. Do you know what your issues are or you unexplained?

I was 39 when put on the waiting list; we paid for a private NHS appointment to get ahead. As PP said, NHS is one size fits all. I shouldn’t be put on the long-protocol given my AMH but they did because of my age. I almost got OHSS.

We then went on to do 5 more cycles privately. If you can afford to, seek treatment abroad (my last 2 were done abroad). No success yet but the technology is more advanced and service more pleasant.

The rules are set by whichever organisation funds IVF treatment. In some areas having private IVF means you lose some of your entitlement to NHS funded treatment. I don’t know what the rules are but it should be easy enough to find out.

At 40 I would not waste my time with the IVF clinics in NI, even privately the waits are much longer than in the east of the UK. I would go straight to Czech Republic or Spain.

There was a thread a while ago for people having IVF in Belfast, have a look for that for more information.

Thanks everyone. I was only added to the waiting list as urgent in June.. I called up the clinic and she said my referral has been seen seen and it has been triaged, she said I should be seen in the next two or three months. I suppose I will have to call the clinic and ask them straight away if I go private will I loose my NHS appt.

@confused2025 I have been pregnant before but ended in miscarriage. My scans, blood tests all good no red flags they say my biggest obstacle is egg quality. My partner sperm analysis came back he has a lot of sperm way more than average, good amount have good mobility but only 2% morfology..the doctor said it should be 4% but because he has so much sperm I think it was (250million) she wasnt worried about the 2% she said if sperm count was lower she would be worried. My plan originally was to do maybe a medicated iui twice before IVF and by then hopefully I will have my NHS appointment but she shut me down completely for medicated iui saying it's only for same sex couples or those with issues having intercourse or serious sperm issues but I could try medicated cycles but surely medicated iui is better than a medicated cycle as what I've read a medicated iui they take the sperm wash them and take the best ones and put them where they need to be around ovulation.... Surely I should be allowed to try that

@March2023CHthe success rates for IUI is really low - it’s close to chances of natural conception I think so if I were you, I’d be more inclined to pursue IVF or ICSI. Honestly it’s not as bad as I thought it would be and I had 2 cycles and would do it again in a heartbeat. Is your partner taking anything to help morfology? Maybe looking at a supplement like Impryl would help him. It might be worth you looking at some vaginal probiotics as well while you wait to start whichever avenue you decide.

@confused2025 yes I think my best option is IVF and I'm willing to pay but only if I don't loose my free NHS spot because if it doesn't work then I know I have another free round of IVF. Goggle searches are telling me different things

@confused2025 why vaginal pro biotics?

you shouldn’t lose you free spot, but it will depend on where you are on the lis t right now if you should opt to do private cycle first. Private clinics do move a lot faster. You should maybe give RFC a call to get an insight of where you are on the list and what time lines are looking like - it was about 9 months for me from referral to GP to getting to top of list and this was 2024.vaginal probiotics help with microbiome and basically it’s to make sure that gut health in the vagina is health and balanced and this helps with conception.

Hi OP I woukd echo what others have said and check with your NHS IVF provider whether getting private treatment means you are enough longer eligible or what the rules are. I am in London and did not pursue NHS IVF because they only offer one round and its a long wait, my local area rules are that if you have private treatment you will not be eligible for future Ivf on the NHS. I know this is not the case everywhere but as with so much in ivf, it varies hugely depending where you live! Good luck

Oh love, that’s such a hard spot to be in the waiting limbo is just awful when time feels so precious. Have you tried asking Fertility Mapper? They’re really good with helping people untangle things like this and might know the latest on how it works with the NHS list. Sending you strength xx

@YourTwinklyBear yes I have used fertility mapper and if I go private I will loose my NHS spot. I spoke with a private fertility clinic and they have me a price of IVF and said I'd absolutely need pgt testing so the price would be between 10 - 12 thousand pounds.. I can't afford that esp with success rates so low at my age. I'm really hoping I get called really soon.. I have had all the tests done they need pre IVF so I'm hoping this will help move things forward

@confused2025 where you seen in the fertility clinic in Craigavon hospital first and then do they refer you for IVF in Belfast ?

@March2023CH no, I think as I’m in the Belfast trust catchment area I had my first appointment at the Grove and it was with Dr Tang. I was referred in the January and I had my first appointment in the June. 2nd appointment in the September time and then top of list in October which I had to defer for a month as we had a family wedding in Spain and RFC couldn’t confirm when I would have an appointment - you have to be free at any stage once you accept top of list. I rang when I got back and received top of list in November. Did viral blood screen and drug collection in December. Took oestrogen over Xmas and I started sims on the 28th of December with egg collection and fresh transfer around mid January x

@March2023CH have you called to see where you are on the list? Have you spoken to Therapie? Their first consultation with a nurse is free and they can give you more details. They don’t do PGT but they have great success rates with patients in our age bracket

@confused2025 it's a long wait isn't it. Did you conceive from your IVF? I have heard great things about Dr Tang. When I called they said my referral is with them and I'm being triaged? Do you think that means I could be seen sooner ? They couldn't narrow it down to months for me

@March2023CH to me that sounds like they might be sending you via craigavon or something. Sometimes GPs mess up the referral and send them for a general referral first. He’s a nice guy and I’m happy I had him. My nhs round looked like 9 eggs, 6 fertilised and only one made it to blast. There were three hanging on in there up today 6 and then the embryology team didn’t give me details they just said ‘oh only 30% end up with something to freeze’. I don’t think my body was ready for the fresh transfer and it ended as a chemical and I also don’t think that their lab is set up for success. I went with Therapie after this and Dr Kennedy was great as was the nurse in Belfast. My AMH plummeted but I got more eggs - ended up with 12 eggs - 4 fertilised and 2 blasts. Currently 12 and a half weeks with my first FET and the other embryo is in storage x

Ah that's great news! Yes it's my gynaecologist was the one who referred me to the fertility clinic in Craigavon but my understanding is they do iui etc and then refer you to Belfast hospital gor IVF.. the private clinic has already told me iui would be a waste for me and I should do IVF straight away so I'm wondering would going to Craigavon be a waste for me ? Was the therapie dear? Did you get most procedures in Belfast?

if you’ve been trying for a while, I think IUI is similar with success rates to natural conception so I think it would be better to go for IVF as you’re keen to get things moving. I had bloods and scans done in Belfast and I had three trips to Dublin but it wasn’t so bad - 1st trip Hycosy and sperm analysis for partner 2nd trip egg retrieval and 3rd trip unfrozen transfer and we didn’t our consultant consultation via MS Teams.
all in it cost about 7k with meds and the hycosy and tests and the unexpected frozen transfer but this worked out for the best due to my hormones/blood work so do not regret that at all. There is always an element of luck with this (and I feel so lucky) but they have very decent stats for our age group and I feel like the level of care was much better than my first experience but as they say, you get what you pay for. Our main issue was low AMH/age but if I had known immunology issues I would go to Spain to Greece. I would definitely avoid local clinics as have heard horror stories of rude consultants and folks being put on the wrong protocol and being charged a premium for it.

I'm 40 and my Amh is 19.7pmol which is pretty good. Im at a loss what to do I really am 😞

@March2023CH that is a really good AMH. I think you should set up a call with Therapie to at least say what they say to you. It’s not filling me with confidence that they’ve sent you via Craigavon as I think it can take awhile to move to RFC. Do you want to try IUI? I have heard it works for some people but it is like trying naturally and I would be more inclined as this as a first option for same sex couples that maybe wanted to trial before IVF. The actual IVF process itself isn’t bad and a lot of people said that they end up spending more on IUI and wished they’d gone IVF straight away

It was 23.7pmol 4 months ago so I was worried it has gone down.

I think I will ring Craigavon and tell me my situation and see what they say

Yeah it can drop very quickly. I went from 17 to 7.5 in 5 months that’s why I think the time element is so important and that has been my biggest regret that I didn’t do the referral sooner. The other way you could potential get onto the RFC list and bypass craigavon plus be to make an appointment with medical associates. I think it might cost around 200 quid but this apparently helps people be bumped up the list quicker and saves them a few months so it might be worth calling them. I didn’t know about this avenue until recently. I think they are based on the Lisburn road and the doctors are in RFC

@confused2025 that sounds good. Would you know how or where I would get this number?