Add ons not allowed for NHS funded cycles?

[InWithPeaceOutWithStress]

I had my initial consultation with Care Fertility for which I have NHS funding. My consultant advised that I’m not allowed to pay extra to fund PGT-a or any other add ons. I find this really disappointing. I would struggle to afford IVF however I do have enough saved to pay for add ons, which would potentially help my chances and cut down on time to pregnancy by avoiding failed transfers. I’m 39 and had really hoped to be able to PGTa test in the event that I produced enough embryos in my first cycle.

Does this tally with others experience of NHS funding - that you’re not allowed to pay privately for add ons?

I am with care fertility Leeds with the NHS and was offered to pay for PGTA testing and other extras

One clinic I spoke to about NHS funded treatment said they did allow ads ons, another said they didn't. I think it can be clinic dependent!

No my experience is the opposite. I had my treatment with Care Fertility (Woking) via NHS funding and paid for quite a lot of add ons including: Care Maps, PGT-A testing, Embryo Glue, and a Zymot which was later refunded as my husbands morphology improved so we didn’t need it.

I also privately funded immune and clotting investigations and some of the treatments that were prescribed following receipt of results.

Definitely challenge that, or consider moving clinic!

Care were not pushy, but all the above were communicated to us as upsells.

The investigations I pushed for, the consultant was initially reluctant and wanted to try ‘one more transfer’ but agreed to request the investigations- not NHS funded so we paid. I’m now 8weeks pregnant and feel every penny was worth it.

I haven’t added up the exact cost but in total we have spent thousands of our own money. The NHS funding document details what is included and is area dependent, for me (Surrey) this covers 2 full cycles with medication, consultations, scans, blood tests and 2 years storage of embryos.

@InWithPeaceOutWithStress
I actually asked this question yesterday at an appointment. Self funded in Edinburgh with NHS. Same response to say I couldn't pay for PGT testing. I didn't know about it before so didn't ask earlier and we have paid for our treatment now.

The nurse said the only option would be to freeze and transfer to another private clinic to do that. The price list says transferring to another clinic in the UK would be £300.

She said they would only consider this at this NHS clinic if there was a known genetic condition and you'd need a referral etc.

It frustrates me (along with a gazillion other things in this whole 'journey') that all the clinics are so different with their rules.

I’m with Care Fertility Manchester and the consultant said it’s out of her hands, it’s NHS rules. Perhaps it’s the local ICB rules? If it’s the clinic’s decision it seems dishonest that she blamed the NHS, but then why would the clinic have such a rule? Surely it would be in their interest to allow add ons and improve their clinics success rates.

It feels like a bit of a conveyor belt at this clinic. They apparently don’t do ICSI unless morphology is 0% and they’re doing 16-20 days of OCB priming before stims so the timings are all totally controlled, with only 1 internal scan in that period.

Based in SE and not Care Fertility but same experience - it was very rigid and were told we couldn't have any add ons. Told us that was the NHS rules too. We were however allowed ICSI with 1-2% morphology (varied between tests).

We were offered ICSI (with NHS funding) and paid for Zymot as pre prep. Husbands morphology then improved so we used neither.

Care fertility Sheffield let me add pgta to nhs funding- maybe it’s ICb dependent a someone says above?