# Moving house for funded IVF?



## sally0582 (Nov 18, 2010)

Is there anyone out there?

Starting to think we're the only ones mad/desperate enough to contemplate this!

A bit of background - currently living in Lincoln and have already had our one and only shot at ICSI funded by the wonderful NHS, which unfortunately failed. Despite being reassured by clinic and GP that this doesn't affect our chances for a further one or two attempts, there is no more money in the pot for a 2nd or 3rd funded cycle.

So...we started to look at other options. Take out a loan...or 2...or 3?!?! Travel abroad (and take out a loan!) or move accross the border into North East Lincs where 3 cycles are funded by the NHS.

Has anyone else done the same thing and is it ok (legally) to do so?

Would love to hear from anyone who kows anything about this. Thanks in advance!

Sally x


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## staceysm (Nov 18, 2010)

Hi Sally,

I don't think it is illegal, but it isn't as straight forward as you think.  I was in Oxford when I had my one and only cycle which luckily resulted in my son.  Because we were moving to Kent and I had bleeding I phoned the local PCT and there NHS criteria was totally different to Oxford and I believe there was a limit as to how many failed cycle's I could have had to. Also PCT's can change there funding criteria at any time and with all the cuts over the next few years it would be a massive risk.  I know where I live now all NHS funding for IVF was suspended for 6 months.  

If you are renting and you and your DH would fit there criteria then it could be something to look in to.  If you own a house though and would have to pay all sorts of fee's then would you really be better of by not just staying where you are and not moving at all?

I know the waiting is hard, I had TTC of 4 years and then had my son at 36 yrs old, but perhaps saving or getting a loan would be better for you?

On another note there are a number of ladies on another website using a clinic in Cyprus.  I have no idea why, but I presume it is a lot cheaper then over here and has good success rates, so perhaps have a look on a search engine and see if you can find it.

Good luck for whatever you decide.
Stacey


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## coweyes (Sep 4, 2008)

I am not sure.  I belive that it would be seen that you have used your funding, so there for can not use it again even though one county are offering more than others.

I would make contact with the pct in the North East LIncs and ask them. xxx


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## Cozy (Jul 17, 2008)

Sally,

would it not work out cheaper to get a loan or put the cost onto a 0% interest credit card? Moving home can be a costly experience with legal fees and removals costs etc.

Cozy


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## chelleb (Aug 2, 2009)

Hi,
I understand where youre coming from with this but like the others say, moving is stressful and quite costly in itself.  It would be very worth while investigating what criteria that the pct has for fertility treatment.  I live literally on the border of two counties, the trust which is funding my treatment will only do so if you had been livng in the area for more than 3 consecutive years, I am not sure if this is the same for others but it is a reason in itself to do some homework so to speak to be sure.  I am told by my clinic that the neighbouring trust does not have this as one of their requirements but had other things that we wouldnt have met either.  Wishing you lotsof luck xxx


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## SWGirl (Aug 19, 2004)

Hi Sally,

I moved from a county that funds just one cycle and no frozen embryo transfers to a county that funds two cycles plus two frozen embryo transfers (or so the clinic tell me regarding the FETs) and have just been approved for funding for my second NHS funded cycle having had the first one undertaken in the previous county I lived in.  I had also previously paid for fresh cycles myself and paid for frozen cycles myself but as I am still childless and still meet the criteria for that area in terms of age and BMI etc they have confirmed they will approve funding for the second cycle (and I assume 2 FETs should I need them).

Just make sure you check the different criteria for each clinic in terms of age etc as these can vary ridiculously.

I expect lots of people move for this reason if they are renting and if, as is so often the case, just a few miles away the help is far better.

It's not illegal to move house and as long as you tell them what treatment you have previously received that was funded by the NHS then there is absolutely nothing dishonest abut this.

Hope that helps.


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## SWGirl (Aug 19, 2004)

Sally,

Also, the area I now live in that are to kindly provide the funding for me do not actually have any IVF clinics so I think I had to meet both the criteria of the Health Authority that are providing the funding and also the criteria of the clinic in another county.  The authority put a limit on the amount of failed cycles although fortunately they only seemed to count the fresh cycles.  I pointed out to them that although I had had three failed FETs, the success rate for this was just 7% at the clinic instead of the 34% success rate for fresh transfers.  

My very first cycle was self funded as there was no funding in Devon at all in 2005. My next cycle was funded by the NHS as I was still childless and had not previously received funding.  

Hope that helps.


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## jenluke (Jul 14, 2011)

hi, not read though all posts so not sure if this has been said or not. im being funded by nhs, 1 of the criteria is you have to have been living in the local area and with a local gp for 3 years. it might be worth checking this out before moving.

good luck hun x x


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## SWGirl (Aug 19, 2004)

It seems each area has very different rules on this.  I went to my New GP immediately and it looks like I'm going straight ahead with treatment. I am attending my information evening this week so I hope to find out this week when the treatment should take place.  It would be foolish to leave anyone waiting for three years.  I would be 38 by then instead of 35. Far more likely for the treatment to be effective the earlier it is done.  I really hope they don't make me wait three years.


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## sally0582 (Nov 18, 2010)

Thank you all so much for your comments and advice.

I contacted the PCT a few weeks ago and they were really helpful and talked me through the criteria. Thankfully they seem to be very generous. There is no minimum residency period and we would be eligable although we have already had 1 failed funded cycle. We fortunately meet all the other criteria on age, BMI, etc. They said they offer a maximum of 3 cycles based on an assessment of success liklihood. I think that means that we may or may not get more that 1 cycle with them if we take the plunge.

We do own our house so selling up is definately too timely and expensive an option. We have decided to rent a cheap place and move there for as long as necessary. Although it means paying for 2 homes, a years tennancy still works out a lot cheaper than even 1 cycle. 

We've done a lot of research online about moving purely for funded NHS treatment and can't find anything that says definitavely whether it's legal or illegal but everything points towards the fact that as long as you have an address and a GP then it's ok. TBH, it does feel uncomfortable but its the only option we really have other than wait to save up and run the risk of time running out and our chances of success falling all the time. Postcode lottery eh?!? 

We have the rental property arranged now and will spend our time between the 2 places for a while due to work and family being close to our house. The next step is to meet with our new GP next week to ask for a referral. Fingers crossed!!!!

Thank you all again for taking an interest in my post. I wish you all success in your baby dreams.

Sally xx


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## Candy76 (Feb 19, 2011)

Wow, you seem to have it all sussed out! It must be worth the try by the sound of it. Wishing you best of luck!!! 

We (briefly) considered moving temporarily because the waiting list for us is around 18 months and 15miles down the road the waiting list is zero. But the catch was you needed to have been registered with the local GP for a year prior to the referral. So, that was the end of that thought.


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## SWGirl (Aug 19, 2004)

I wonder if instead of renting a place, what are the rules on using a friends address if they live somewhere where there are three cycles offered?  If this next cycle doesn't work then I will probably have to look into that as we just don't have the funding ourselves.  Best of luck to all of you in working out a way to beat the silly postcode lottery!


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## staceysm (Nov 18, 2010)

Hi,

It is really hard, as IVF/ICSI is so damn expensive.  I am sure that there will be restrictions in place, so that people cannot just move to new areas every few years and then get full NHS funded treatments.  There would have to be cut off's at some point, otherwise everyone would be doing it.

I have just looked at my local PCT critera and they have said that they will not fund IVf if you have had 3 failed cycles by NHS or Private.


Good luck in your journey.
Stacey
x


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## Candy76 (Feb 19, 2011)

Hi SWgirl, the rules are always that you have to have your main place of residence in the PCT you are applying for funding, similar to the school catchment area issue.


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## SWGirl (Aug 19, 2004)

Hi Candy76, how do they check where your main residence is? Do they contact the council to check where you are registered for council tax / check address on passport or driving license? Is your main residence not wherever you say it is?  I am pretty sure there are people that work away from home Monday to Friday and register at a GP in the town they work in as it makes sense to be registered with a doctor wherever you are mainly likely to be during surgery opening hours etc.  It's all surely a bit of a grey area isn't it?  It can't all be about where you own a home as lots of people do not own property and some people rent out their own property in one town and rent the place they actually live in in another town where they work and I expect that is where they register with a GP.  Who checks where you live? the GP? the clinic? How do they check?  

SWgirl


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## SWGirl (Aug 19, 2004)

It seems I was wrong about being able to join a GP practice near your work but I just found this link on the BBC News website today suggesting such proposals are about to start:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-15554554

/links


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