# IVF TReatment on the NHS - New laws



## @[email protected] (Apr 11, 2005)

I have recently read the following on the NHS site:

_"The typical cost of one IVF cycle at a private clinic is £2,000. However, from April 2005, all Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) should be offering at least one cycle of IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) treatment on the NHS to infertile couples. Women must be aged between 23 and 39 to qualify for free treatment. In addition, they must either:

have a specific problem such as absence of sperm or blocked fallopian tubes, or 
have been unable to conceive for three years despite regular intercourse and no identifiable problem."_

Are you all aware of this?

Does anyone know more about it? I need to know whether this applies to women who have been steralised?

Debs


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## Flopsy (Sep 18, 2003)

Hi Debs,

Sadly, there is not a new law to cover IVF but a recommendation by NICE for three NHS cycles which started all of this. The Secretary for Health then diluted this down to one cycle by April 2005.

As often happens with these things it was left up to PCT's to determine how they would implement it. Each PCT put together it's own criteria and these vary for area to area. So it it still a postcode lottery. See here for more info.

http://www.fertilityfriends.co.uk/content/view/275/1/

To find out what the criteria is for treatment you will need to contact your PCT and see if they have sorted one out yet.

Here is a link to a NHS page that lets you find your PCT in England. Sorry I don't know where you live but there are similar pages for Scotland and Wales.

http://www.nhs.uk/England/AuthoritiesTrusts/Pct/Default.aspx

Hope that this helps! Good luck.

With warmest regards,


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## TigersEye (Mar 5, 2005)

Hi Debs

I actually know the answer to your question about whether any of this applies to ladies who have been sterilised and the simple answer (in my area anyway) is no. As soon as I told my GP that I had been sterilised (and had attempted to have it reversed) her eyes glazed over and she said there was no way our local authority would even consider me for NHS funding. They weren't even prepared to help with blood tests or the drugs. 

Perhaps your local authority is more understanding, but in Bromley they take a very dim view of what my GP called 'self-imposed infertility'.

I hope this is not the case where you are, but please be aware that in some areas, they are very rigid.

Good luck

Monique


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## @[email protected] (Apr 11, 2005)

Thank you all for your responses.

Monique, you confirmed what I was thinking.  I had a feeling that women who chose to be sterilised would not get this treatment free as it was their choice to be sterilised, unlike those who are infertile through know fault of their own. This is understandable.

So as you have been refused, what route are you taking now?  Ideally our first choice would have been to conceive naturally but the only way for this would be to have my sterilisation reversed.  Cost being between £2500 - £4500. Hence opting for IVF.  Was unable to do IVF egg share due to the fact my I am Sickle Cell Trait. So then the only option was IVF.  Once again cost implications.  But then there was the worry about the risks involved (which I wont go into, as I am sure everyone knows them) So now we are just going to see what money we can raise to get whatever treatment we can get.

Thank you Mollmaloo & Flopsy for the info you gave and the links.  I note that you mention the PCT a lot.  Guess who works for a PCT here in Birmingham?....ME!!!
Did not know until after reading your postings that I am at the heart of the info.  Only problem is I have only been here 6 months and its not really the sort of thing you really want to discuss with your boss!!  But if its a means to getting all the info and being pointed in the right direction, maybe I will just grin and bare it.

So are you two going through IVF or looking into going for it?

Thanks for all your info

Debs


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## longbaygirl (Aug 19, 2004)

Worth following this up. 

AlmaMay (on London Girls thread in Meeting places) managed to get 2 free IVF cycles on her PCT after writing to them and checking. 

Joy


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## Midge69 (Aug 22, 2004)

I Wrote to my local PCT as we kept asking the GP if he had heard anything and he hadn't. I did receive a response, although not that explanatory so I rang to find out the criteria. 

Basically:

under 39
explained cause (or ttc 3 years and unexplained)
Body mass index normal
Registered with GP
no tubal damage/operations
no sterilisation
no children from other relationships

Fortunately we meet the criteria on all of these. Went to GP to ask for referral who was very happy to do so - other than the fact that he has not yet seen these guidelines from the PCT so I seemed to know more than him! 

In the meantime we've been paying for private treatment but any financial help will be a bonus. 

Only hope that the fact that we have been paying and so far not been successful (one attempt so far) does not go against us. 

Midge


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## @[email protected] (Apr 11, 2005)

Dear All

I have been working for a PCT for the past 6 months, still in the "getting to know the ropes" phase. After submitting postings in forums I have found out that PCT's are the people to contact re: IVF on NHS. So all this time I have been in the heart of information and did not know it 
Anyway today I asked a few questions and have been given some links, which I thought I would share with you all.
INFO
Directory of Fertility Clinics
http://www.hfea.gov.uk/HFEAPublications/YourGuidetoInfertility/HFEA%20p63-106.pdf

HFEA - Guide To Infertility
http://www.hfea.gov.uk/HFEAPublications/YourGuidetoInfertility/DoC%20text%20version%20%28for%20website%29.pdf

Full NICE Fertility Guideline
http://www.nice.org.uk/pdf/CG011fullguideline.pdf

Hope they are of use to you all

Debs


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## Cheshire Cheese (Apr 19, 2005)

mollymalloo said:


> Hello Everyone - I wrote to the Dept of Health about this allocation and entitlement issue a couple of weeks ago and this is the reply I received from them.
> It may be of interest.
> Molly
> 
> ...


dear all
I have just been told that i need ivf treatment due to grade 4 endo and have been on zoladex injections, i was told that i would qualify for nhs treatment but would have to wait for a minimum of 2 years as my local trust has not got the funding for treatment at present. They told me i would have to have zoladex injections whilst waiting for ivf. Myself and my husband fely this was appauling and we feel we have been pushed into a corner and are now self funding ivf. which we were able to start within a week. i feel this is really poor but have not had a choice has any body else been through the same experience. Deb P.


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## WKelly (Mar 23, 2005)

Hi

Just wondering if you could help me with these question??

I am currently going private for IVF at the mo and had a letter through last week offering me a go on the NHS, got an appointment on 28 June.  Does this affect my chances with the NHS being i am private at the moment, will i lose out??

Regards, Kelly

xx

xx


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## Cheshire Cheese (Apr 19, 2005)

Midge69 said:


> I Wrote to my local PCT as we kept asking the GP if he had heard anything and he hadn't. I did receive a response, although not that explanatory so I rang to find out the criteria.
> 
> Basically:
> 
> ...


my consultant told me that if we paid for 2 ivf treatments then that would take one of our nhs tries away from us so i would check with your consultant in regards to that.


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## TJSK (Dec 2, 2004)

HELLO!

i just wanted to write and say to say to you that we too are having private ivf. if you decide to self fund you will lose your chance of nhs ivf everytime. so basically everytime you self fund you get one of your ivf cycles taken off you. so if you get 3 nhs cycles and decide to do a self fund cycle inbetween then you will then only have 2 nhs tries left.

hope this helps as we are in exactly the same boat!

goodluck!

tracey x


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## WKelly (Mar 23, 2005)

Sorry let me get this right, soooooooo angry.  Because we are paying for our first cycle privately we now lose our first free go with the NHS?  will have to wait again for it come round a second time?

Sorry not ranting and raving at you, just how the bloody system works, what a nightmare  

xx


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## marzy (Apr 28, 2004)

hi girls
sorry to but in but im in devon and our p c t hasnt funded as yet !! 
we get 1 free go 
it doesnt matter how many you have funded!! 
but ive already paid for 2 
so you are in a better position than me to have the option of 3 free goes but dont want to wait and choose to go private!!!!! and sadly loose each consecutive go!! 
i wish our pct would give us  3 free goes 
kindest regards 
xx
good luck


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## ella12 (Mar 22, 2005)

Hi WK
I understand how angry you must be.  I too am livid about the new NICE guidelines.  I had 2 privately funded IVFs which resulted in 2 negs.  I was later turned down for NHS funding for another cycle because I already have a child.  

I feel so bitter about this because a panel has judged my case and turned me down because I have a son.  I thank god every day for him.  

If I were you, I would go along for this NHS consultation and not mention the private cycle you are on at the moment.  Put your feet on the rung with the NHS... hopefully you wont need them anyway.

Ella


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## WKelly (Mar 23, 2005)

Hi Ella

I could really go to town with this.  Where does all the lottery money go MUSEUMS, ART GALLERIES, think i will stop as i have a feeling i might offend others   

How can they knock you back because you already have a child, the whole idea of you having ivf is that you now cant produce naturally (don't know if thats the case) but whether you go private or not however many times you should be entitled for ONE FREE GO end off!

Am going to keep quite with the NHS and now i really hope i don't need them.

Sorry for letting rip this early in the morning!!

Speak soon

xx


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## TJSK (Dec 2, 2004)

hi everyone,

iv just been reading up on the page again.

me personally i think the nhs are useless.......they have done nothing for me and dh. its a disgrace that even if you do manage to get a free shot that you have to wait years for it! how many people will have had breakdowns in between the 3 years.......(i wonder if any of there wifes /partners have ever gone through any of this) maybe they would understand it all a little better!!

when i went to my recent app at the clinic i asked as to why everyone does not get free nhs treatment, and i was told that fertility was classed as LOW PRIORITY!!

only the nhs could come out with a statement like that!

tracey


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## WKelly (Mar 23, 2005)

Hi all

I spoke to my Consultant on Friday as to what i should do re the NHS IVF appointment, if i would lose it, apparently not as i live in the Havering area?  Barts are ok with it and i don't even need to see my Doctor regarding all the blood tests that they need as i can just get a copy from my clinic.

Not jumping for joy at the moment as i wont believe it till it happens, still not 100% sure in believing all the different advice from the docs?

Also have been told that the NHS go by your post code so maybe it could be worth looking on the website and typing in your post code and see where you stand

Good luck all and will keep you informed

xx


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