# Anyone had problems getting their clinic to accept GP blood test results in 2017



## scp (May 16, 2010)

Hi,

I am about to start my first double donation IVF cycle, having completed 4 self-funded IVF cycles with my own eggs in the last 4 years.  In previous cycles my clinic (The Lister) has happily accepted all the blood test results I had done via my GP (to save cash, I admit it!).  The clinic has just rejected a number of blood tests my GP referred me for as the results sheet does not state that the laboratory that carried out the tests is CPA Accredited....in fact the print out doesn't mention the lab at all (it just contains my details, the name of my GP surgery, and my results).  I have been told that I either need to have the tests redone at the Lister (at a cost of about £350) or get my doctor to write a letter / send an email to the clinic confirming that the lab my local NHS Foundation Trust uses is CPA Registered.  I did ask the Receptionist at my doctors whether I could get a letter but she was so insulted that The Lister was implying that the NHS laboratories do not meet CPA standards that she was very huffy and told me to ring back another day, oops.  Has anyone else come across this problem this year (it appears to be a new thing.  The Lister says it is because the HFEA has made it a new requirement that all laboratories used by fertility clinics are CPA Accredited).  If you have, did your GP write a letter for you?

Thanks x


----------



## susie7600 (Nov 17, 2013)

Hi scp,

I've just cycled again at the Lister and had my GP test Thyroid and HIV/hepatitis as they needed redoing. I'd seen the thing about accredited labs on their information sheet so thought they may not accept the virology results but they did no questions. Maybe I just got lucky xx


----------



## June2015 (Jun 20, 2015)

Hi Scp,

I haven't cycled at the Lister, but because I am synical about  clinics (and if you have the time) I would actually call the HFEA or look at their website to see where and what it exactly states about the regulations to do with clinics receiving external blood results from patients. How clinics interpret the regulations and implement them can be different to what's actually mandatory from the HFEA.  

Ignore the doctor's receptionist, in all likelihood you'll have to pay a minimal amount for a GP letter, so you're paying for their time and she's just being snooty. 

Good luck, hope you get it sorted x


----------



## NAT1DRAGONFLY (Jun 13, 2013)

Hi

Good luck with your cycle. 

Have to say sounds rather cheeky of them. Just sounds like a way of getting extra money out of you. 

I am very sceptical of UK clinic anyway as we had quite a bad time overall and why we are now cycling with Serum in Athens.  

I would ageee with the lady above and I would check to see that that is right - I think seems really naughty. My clinic in Athens accepts ECG and blood test results from GP and hospital in UK. 

Good luck xx


----------



## scp (May 16, 2010)

Thanks for replying everyone.

After going into my GP surgery and discussing what I needed the very helpful Practice Secretary said she would look into it for me.  She made a few phone calls and got confirmation from the lab at the hospital I went to for my blood tests that they are CPA Accredited.  She emailed my a confirmation email and the lab manager's phone number, which I have forwarded to The Lister.  Fingers crossed the email is accepted as proof of accreditation.

Before I went into my GP's I rang HFEA as you suggested.  The lady I spoke to was surprised the new rules were being used in this way as she thought they were aimed at getting the clinics to get their labs accredited or for them to only send their blood tests to accredited labs.  She said she can't imagine they were designed to get NHS blood tests rejected and patients being made to pay for repeat tests at their clinics.  She said she'd look into it for me, which is great.  Problem is I am a bit of a wuss and tend to avoid conflict so I am not sure I would dare to put my own DD cycle at risk by annoying The Lister too much!


----------



## June2015 (Jun 20, 2015)

Morning Scp,

Haha, you're not wuss at all. If you were you wouldn't have undertaken a process like IVF.  

At the end of the day you're paying for a service, and you have a right to question the costs of that service.  If you can, and I know it's difficult, try to remove the emotional side from it and consider it as any other financial transactions. It's not the same I know, but for instance if you were buying a car and thought the wheels were included and suddenly the garage says well actually, due to new road laws you now have to pay for wheels, you'd certainly argue the case.  You can very politely do this with the clinic. Have a plan as to what you want to say and give them a call and explain that you've spoken with the HFEA etc and reliterate the conversation etc.  You won't be in conflict, you'll just be having a conversation.

I've had lots of 'conversations' with my clinic, ranging from questioning their policies on signing forms, to mandatory donor recipient counselling, to invoicing charges.  They have always discussed the issues with me and sometimes they backed down, sometimes stood their ground. You need to choose your battles to fight. Alternatively rather than call you could state your case clearly in an email as ask for a response. It just depends on how quickly they respond to emails. 

  It sounds like I'm an awkward customer, but I'm really not, it's just when you're parting with the amount of cash we are, you don't want to get ripped off.  

If you decide to discuss the topic with them, I hope it goes well and that they take you're NHS bloods. 

XxxxX


----------



## NAT1DRAGONFLY (Jun 13, 2013)

Hi

That's good news. Well done. Glad sorted out. 

Don't be worrying about that. I would have thought would be anonymous anyway and no need to bring your name into anything. Glad you rand HFEA as interesting to hear that basically the clinic are using a rule to their own advantage and not to the benefit of the patients. Unfortunately this is quite typical of the experience I found in the UK with fertility clinics - was very business over patient. 

Good luck with your cycle and don't worry you did the right thing 

Xx


----------

