Sterilisation not available on the NHS! WTF??

[BendyLikeBeckham]

GP told me she was emailed this week to tell her the NHS cannot offer female sterilsation unless there are exceptional circumstances .

I just want a permanent form of contraception please without hormones or a metal device shoved up me. I've had my kids and any more would be dangerous to my health.

FFS I'm so annoyed. Poxy Tory austerity cuts.

I had mine on the nhs ten years ago. I thought they still did it!

Can you pay for it? Cheaper than a baby I bet. I know lots of people can’t afford much beyond daily life but plenty can and just don’t expect to pay for healthcare related things.

Can’t your dh have a vasectomy?

If having more children would be dangerous to your health, would that not qualify as "exceptional circumstances". Would your GP not put forward this reason as to why you meet the criteria?

Must be against some equality law if they offer male sterilisation but not female sterilisation on the NHS?

There are other, much cheaper solutions to that problem. The NHS is struggling and decisions have to be made about how the money available can be spent. Not everyone is going to get what they want and be happy.

In many areas neither male nor female sterilisation are available next the NHS. Reasoning being that long acting reversible contraceptives are more effective, with less long term side effects and less regret. I disagree but that is the reasoning. If having more children is dangerous it would be worth asking your GP to make the application as an exceptional circumstance. Or see if your OH might have a vasectomy- even if it needs to be paid for it is cheaper and easier than female procedure.

Our local NHS trust won’t do it either. I’ve been asking for years.

I just want a permanent form of contraception please without hormones or a metal device shoved up me. I've had my kids and any more would be dangerous to my health.

^I don’t see why the NHS should pay for it

greendale17 but you’re happy for babies to be born on the NHS?

It may depend on the NHS trust, so some areas may still be funding it. I wouldn't be surprised if it is removed everywhere soon though as it is elective, expensive and less effective than some long term contraception.

I had my tubes tied on the nhs seven months ago.

It’s in the NHSs interest to pay for it in my opinion. It’s an important part of women’s health.

And why are you all assuming she has a DH or even a partner? Maybe she doesn’t which makes it even wiser to be sterilised. And as someone said above, why should her health and well-being be dependent on a man taking action on her behalf.

smilethoyourheartisbreaking you said it far more articulately that I did

Than I did!

A vasectomy is much cheaper to the NHS than female sterilisation. Vasectomies are done under local, as a day case and round here not even in a hospital - they do them at the sexual health clinic. having your "tubes tied" is a much bigger operation - theatre time, general anaesthetic risk, recovery bed etc etc etc.

I can see that where you have an established couple who have said they don't want any more children that it makes a lot more financial sense to encourage vasectomy.

Wow! I'm surprised to hear that. I was sterilised 10 years ago on the NHS.

I think it's a bit of a false economy not to offer this. After all, a pregnancy, delivery and midwife service then child benefit and possibly tax credits, or an abortion, for an unexpected pregnancy will likely be much more expensive. Surely, years and years of contraception which a patient does pay for would also be pretty dear.

When will this ideological drive to cut public services, done under the excuse of austerity, ever end.

I'm not surprised, really. It's elective surgery and there are other options available so it's not like you have no other option, although I understand you dont want to take oral contraception.

You may have to research alternatives.

Sterilisation isn't 100% anyway. I was told this when I considered it as an option. Apparently the tubes can fuse back together. I think the success rate is 99%, similar to the pill.

Presenting vasectomy as an alternative to tube tying presumes the woman has just one male partner though. A woman could easily be in or planning to be in more than one relationship, or have sex with more than one man. Coils don't suit everyone either. And the cost argument isn't very convincing given that the NHS could and would pay for multiple terminations or, more expensively, antenatal treatment.

I'd never go for sterilisation myself given the risk of ectopic pregnancy, but realistically it's going to be the best and cheapest option for some women.

Strange. My nhs trust seem to be at the other end of the scale - I'm having a planned c-section and at my 32week scan I was asked if I wanted to be sterilised at the same time! I found it very strange...

It's shit isn't it. My sister has been consistently refused sterilisation since she was 22 "because you'll probably want to have children later"

20 years and multiple health crises from hormonal contraception later, she still doesn't want children and they still won't sterilise her. Instead they put her on the copper coil which caused agonising pain during installation - the doctor stated "your cervix is really tight so I'm going to have to cut into it" - which then resulted in an infection which hospitalised her.

Now it's "it's pointless sterilising you when you'll be going through menopause soon."

Health can be an exceptional circumstance. In our Trust my consultant circumvented it because tubal ligation is allowed if there's another gynaecological surgery being done. As I needed an investigative laparoscopy anyway she simply tied my tubes at the same time.

Appeal, see if there's a clause like that available to you. Good luck.