# Edinburgh treatment



## GPRW87 (Mar 20, 2013)

Hi  

Does anybody know if donor insemination 
is still available as a private patient at
Edinburgh Royal Infirmary?

Thanks xx


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## [email protected]@h (Dec 11, 2012)

Hi, just checked my mountain of leaflets from the ERI and yes donor sperm IVF is available and costs 4613.


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## Jacobsmum (Feb 23, 2013)

Hi there GPRW87

I am not sure, and I am way out of date with what's available, but my experience would suggest not to rely on them having any available just because they have a price printed for it. Phone and ask about it, and about *waiting times*, and check out other options. If they say there is a 6 month wait, don't expect that treatment will be available in 6 months - they may just 'review the list' in 6 months time, or may offer you a first appointment in 6 months, with treatment 3 months after that.

I don't mean to sound negative - I had 8x DI there some years ago (before the 2005 legislation change about donor anonymity), none of it worked (but then I need progesterone support, so none of it was likely to), and went on to IVF. When there were delays (like for 2 years no donors at all!) they did not inform me, I had to continually chase them for information and what I got was not always reliable. I ended up going to GCRM (they now use an Edinburgh satellite clinic for most tests/scans, so it's not much extra travelling) for IUI and IVF (in the end I needed double donor). I was a self funding patient with RIE. The one part of the service there I really rated highly at RIE was the counsellor - it used to be compulsory for donor treatment, but I went for more than the single session when I had problems with treatment, needed to look at other options and found the years of trying taking a toll.

There are also other Edinburgh clinics, so check out your options - I ended up having treatment in 3 different clinics (Manchester, when there was 'no sperm in Scotland', as well as RIE and GCRM), and visiting another 2. It all adds up, funds wise, but I really don't regret having had consultations in more than one place - only regret not trying that sooner, and sitting on waiting lists for too long for 'probably another couple of months' each time, that turned into 8 months or a year. I think the donor situation has moved on a lot from when I had treatment (I certainly hope so!), but my experience wasn't jsut about the shortage of donors, it was lack of clear, honest communication about it I found more frustrating.

Wishing you every success  - it is worth it in the end, even if it'sa longer journey than the one you planned.

Jacobsmum


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