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IVF under West Sussex PCT

Hello Ladies,

I haven't been on here for a while, as I've been taking a break from it all.

I went along to see my Doctor on Friday as I'm just not coping well with everything at bthe moment. I'm very stressed with work and I'm currently doing the hormone injections, and just got to the stage where I couldn't cope with everything and me being so stressed can't be helping the injection.

Anyway whilst I was there sobbing my heart out, I explained that one of the other issues I'm dealing with is having to go private with IVF if it comes to that. He asked why and I explained that my 2nd FSH blood test came back at 11.5, which is too high for Surrey PCT to fund IVF. He explained that even though I was sent to East Surrey Hospital for all the Fertility consults,(as it's the nearest hospital) the practice is actually under the West Sussex PCT which means I would qualify, as they have less stringent guidelines!!!

Now I'm really confused since June I've been told I wouldn't get NHS IVF and now he is telling me I will. I don't want to get my hopes up too much!!

Does anyone know what the West Sussex guidelines are?? I've tried googling it but can't find anything...... I thought it was where you lived, but my Doctor has said it down to the practice you are registered at!!!!!???

I'd really appreciate any help on this.

Many Thanks

xx

[Modified by: babyhope on 14 November 2009 17:47:50 ]

Replies

  • Hey hon, that's great news!!! I just googled and found this:
    http://www.rwstgp.org.uk/guidelines/local guidelines/Gynaecology_Infertility.pdf

    Looks good for you if this is the right one! Yes, all NHS care is based on where your GP is and not where you live. Wowie, how exciting xx
  • Hi TBD,
    Thank you so much for that, that really does help. I just can't believe I was told I didn't qualify for NHS IVF and now it seems that I might. It's only added to all my stress over the past 6 months. It really seemed to me, that all the Hospital was interested in was getting me to go through their private clinic.

    I am a little worried though as I'm hoping my FSH won't be even higher now. It was 7.5 when I first had it tested at the Doctors and then it had jumped in 6 months up to 11.5 by the time I had my first appt at the Fertility Clinic. (convenient that it was just outside their NHS criteria)

    I have been having Reflexology and have seen a Nutritionist and have been put on a blood sugar balancing eating regime (aparently this helps your body control your hormones better!!)...... So here's hoping anyway, still not going to get my hopes up too much yet.

    Anyway how is your IVF going?? How has it been? I do have a couple of questions for you, if you don't mind, Where are you having yours? What did your AMH come back like (mine is low at 3.55!!) and how did you get on with the drugs?? You must be so happy with the results so far, good luck with the embie transfer in the next few days.

    Thanks again for taking the time to look into my issues when you have so much going on at the moment.

    xxx
  • Hi Babyhope - yes, it's definitely where your GP is registered and not where you live (although these are almost always the same unless you happen to live on the border of two PCTs). I've been trying to re-register with a GP about ten miles from me as they are on a different PCT and they offer 3 IVF goes on the NHS - mine only offers 1. However, I can't because I live outside the GPs catchment area. That is set by the individual GP practices and is normally a 'within a certain radius' of the practice and not what county or PCT you are in.

    Sounds really positive for you!!! Go, go, go!! Get talking again and take all the information you've got and get your one go on the NHS! Good luck hun.
  • Hey BH, yeah I can see it must be a worry as you are so close to their cutoff of 12. FSH do fluctuate quite a lot though, which is why many clinics now use AMH as a more reliable indicator of response. So maybe worth getting it tested again, but then maybe not with the chance of it being higher??? When was the last one done? Mine had to be within the last 6 months. There's a good chance the reflexology etc will have helped...I have heard of really good results with that.

    I am at the Lister in London (privately). My AMH was 14.4, so apparently normal for my age. 3.55 is quite low, but it just means they may need to put you on higher doses of drugs to crank up your ovaries! How old are you hon? A lot of people with hormone issues seem to be put on menopur (which I think is more expensive), I was on gonal F 150 - so quite a low dose really. I didn;t really get any symptoms apart from feeling hormonal and a bit tender around my ovaries. But I didn;t have loads of follicles either. It seems the key is quality not quantity from what everyone has said to me. Try not to worry too much about the FSH / AMH, plenty of people have gotten pg with IVF in spite of this, including most recently the lovely daisy girl I believe. It probably means they will put you on a short protocol as well.

    It is just such a postcode lottery and I feel it is amzingly unfair. I am only 27 and have nothing wrong with me (as far as I know!) but cannot get anything on the NHS until I'm 30. In some areas there are no age restrictions and people are entitled to 3 goes!!!! Which is a saving of approx ??20,000!!!!! It's crazy.

    MrsH, shame that you couldn;t change GP, but well worth a try! I suggested we move house at one point, but not sure it would be worth it financially!!

    xxx
  • Hey TBD - we get one go on the NHS so hopefully it'll work first time. If it doesn't, we may rent our house out and rent another in the right area. Kind of cost neutral then. Although I heard on the news the other day that the Government are trying to ensure that ALL guidelines (and I hope this means IVF too) are met in whichever PCT you are in and they will pay for private treatment if your PCT can't meet it in order to end the postcode lottery. Won't be holding out much hope tho.......
  • I've always thought it's wrong that people like us that clearly need the help can't get it funded on the NHS, just because of where we live or as I have recently established which Doctor you are registered at.

    My husband and I have spend 6 months fretting over the thought of having to go private, and I have actually gone private with my hormone injections, only not to find out we may just get the funding (not counting our chickens yet). We only found out as I went to my Doctor about my stress levels otherwise we would have never know. The hospital got it so wrong and have added to the stress of it all and cost us about ??1000 in hormone injections.......I'm now thinking of writing a letter of complaint, I know I can't get back the stress filled months but I could certainly try and get back the money we've spent on medication and Consultants!!!!

    My Consultant who we have gone private with has said he would facilitate my NHS IVF, as they do it ast the same BUPA clinic as we were going to go private with!! He has also said I need a stress free month whilst we give the injections a last go, so hopefully my Doctor will sign me off for a while so I can give them every chance to work..... so here's hoping!!!

    Good luck TBD for tomorrow, I'll be thinking of you and I hope you lovely embies enjoy their new home.
    xxx
  • hi all i am 24 and havnt been able to have a babie for 8 yrs due to 2 eptopic pregnacies i am due to start ivf treatment but i will have to go private and pay for it myself. i then went to the agora for consultatioon and they told me cos of my age they will only put 1 egg back but yet i am paying the same price as anyone who has 3 eggs back in the body dose anyone have any advice please ! xx

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