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 was offered it when pg with #3 if I had ended up having a csec. Precisely because if they already have the surgical costs and risks of opening you up they may as well do it at the same time. The consultant said it would be very difficult to arrange one at a later date.

Husband phoned up wanting a vasectomy, was told that it would be preferable that I had the coil or implant 🤨

Of course there are valid reasons. Isn't that the way it currentky works in the uk? I should have been clearer. The op has been told she has to pay, presumably because not wanting to take oral meds or wanting a metal device inserted isnt considered a legitimate case for free sterilisation (not surprising, really).

Sterilisation should most definitely be available free of charge to those that require it for medical or health reasons.

Deciding to not want oral meds or a coil is hardly in the same league as someone like Bishop, is it?

You don't have to have sex, you know. It's not a given thing. If you don't want to use coils, pill etc, and don't want a baby, don't have sex.

Sound, realistic advice grounded in typical human behaviour.

Not having a sex life is a little extreme given that there are alternatives (albeit ones the op doesn't want to use) and the OP can pay privately.

No offense youtalkshitehen but you're the one who doesn't know what you're talking about. It's not hospital departments that make the decision of what is funded but commissioning bodies. Sterilisation falls under what is referred as Low Priority Procedures. These have been tightened because of the pressures on commissioning budgets.

albeit ones the op doesn't want to use

You don't know the full reasons. Personally, I spent years in and out of various therapies for depression and anxiety - until I stopped taking hormonal birth control. Some women cannot use hormonal methods and condoms just aren't effective enough.

the OP can just pay privately

But why should she have to? It is a legitimate medical expense that saves the NHS a lot in the long term - pre/antenatal care and all future medical care for the child. Plus the ££££ that the government would spend of the hypothetical child's education. And you are assuming she has £3k available.

Of course not having sex is not an option. Sterilisation should be available but only when EVERYTHING else has been tried and there are medical, not comfort reasons why they are not possible.

Why are people assuming that OP has funds to pay privately?

Juliette: I am only going on what has been posted by the op. She makes no mention of not being able to take oral contraceptive for health reasons.

Sterilisation is not available for everyone no matter what you or I think. There are reasons where it is available free and the OP doesn't meet the criteria. Thus, if she wants it done she will have to pay privately. It's not that she can't have it done, she can, but she needs to pay.

It's cheaper for the State to sterilise then it would be to provide antenatal, childbirth and postnatal care plus years of healthcare and schooling, etc.

To stop providing this is a very short-sighted view.

Yes, the NHS should pay for it.

Just tell them you ID as a man, as they seem quite happy to spend NHS funds sterilizing children.

I had mine this year. I truely had enough evidence that no other contraception was right for me and I spent years trying them all

But I only got it as I was already having an operation for something else and he did that at the same time

I think it is awful for women to take this option away
I can’t take the pill as I am high risk which also rules out the implant
I tried both coils and they failed (excessive bleeding and expulsion)
Mini pills also just make me bleed

What are women supposed to do?

I think the policy is different for different trusts?
And you do not have to receive care from your own trust. Change GPs so you are under a trust which does allow them.

You can also do this for c sections ftw. You do not have to accept care from your nearest hospital or the consultant that is first offered to you and refuses. You can try different hospitals and consultants until you get one who is willing to provide it.

Female sterilisation is not as effective contraceptively , as cheap, as safe medically or as reversible as mirena, implant, copper coil or for that matter vasectomy.
If a woman is having surgery anyway eg csection then some of the risks are mitigated and so most ccgs will pay for this.
If all other methods are unsuitable and have been seriously considered or tried then an argument can be made for sterilisation and the ccg petitioned on your behalf by your GP. It is absolutely correct that expense, safety and effectiveness are taken into consideration where scarce nhs funds are concerned.

If you Google it and look on the nhs website it says you can.

There are dependants though. Look under the section that say before the op. It says your GP can refuse to refer you if it's not in your best interests etc. Age is also a factor. In my area they won't consider it at all if you are under 35 years old and/or don't already have children.

Example, my friend is 37 has 1 child who is 2 and they won't do it for her as she is still of child baring years and only has 1 child and even though she says she doesn't want more there is a chance in the near future she may change her mind and reversals are complicated and the NHS don't often fund them.

So I guess it depends on your age, how many children you've got already as the main factors.

It's stupid, short sighted and false economy not to offer sterilisation. The cost of surgical abortion, antenatal care, childbirth and children is immense.

'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.'

No, there aren't. If you don't want hormones it's the copper coil or condoms. Condoms aren't cheap. The copper coil can have extremely negative side effects for some users.

It's not about 'getting what you want' it's about being denied a viable form of contraception which long-term is far cheaper than abortions, antenatal care, childbirth and children.

I'd appeal, OP.

If money saving is the issue, which it is, then the NHS should be handing out vasectomies and sterilisation like free smarties. Honestly, they will save an absolute fortune in abortions, pregnancy care, births, education and healthcare of children that weren’t planned or wanted. It’s ridiculous. Common sense is extinct.

“YeTalkShiteHen

yes I happen to know exactly what I'm talking about.

You don’t. Because budgets for different departments are just that, someone not having a breast reduction wouldn’t all of a sudden free up cash for cancer treatment.

Diabetes isn’t self inflicted.”

This doesn’t make sense. Seperate budgets doesn’t mean the overall budget isn’t linked- is just split into a hierarchy. If the sterilisation department now longer existed of course the sterilisation budget would, by default, be allocated to other departments/ treatments

Another reasons condoms aren't cheap is because they're quite a bit less effective than some other methods, particularly with real world usage instead of perfect usage. More accidental pregnancies means the NHS pays for more abortions or antenatal care.

No wonder the NHS is running out of money if they a cutting costs saving procedures. If it us a danger to your life though then you should fall within exceptional circumstances. Also look into having it done privately if you can afford it. Better to siend the money on sterilisation than a holiday or something else fivilous like that iyswim.

Better to siend the money on sterilisation than a holiday or something else fivilous like that iyswim.

Eh? It's £2-3k to have it done privately. That's an immense sum of money for a great deal of people. Sterilisation saves money long-term.

I'm childfree andvwant to be sterilised. From what I've heard I'd be laughed out of the GP surgery.

My health authority will only sterilize if every other contraception has been tried first.