# 43yrs and GP surgery want me to pay for initial fertility tests



## Cham (Nov 12, 2012)

Hi Ladies,
I am fairly new here and find this is worth than going to a doctor to find fertility information. Love to know posts here. 
Now I have just started my journey to have a baby. I was told by the nurse at GP surgery that I have to pay for blood and swab tests my doctor requested. She said my doctor is fairly a new one and shouldnt have agreed to do the tests.
Is this correct? How about you all, where did you had your initial tests, FSH, Thyroid, HIV, Clamidia swabs etc if not at GP. I have no idea where else we have to do blood tests.

Any ideas please.
Good luck to all
Cham


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## girl nextdoor (Dec 19, 2011)

Hi Cham,
Really your doctor should refer you to a specialist who will arrange the tests you need.
I went privately and thought I may be able to get the tests done cheaper (albeit I had to pay) via my GP. So I did this and in then end I wished that I had just paid my private clinic as it cost me just the same for my GP to organise them and they were much slower in processing the results. It really depends on your GP whether they charge you or not. But if you are referred to an NHS specialist they should sort out the basic tests for you. Hope that helps and good luck!
X


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## staceysm (Nov 18, 2010)

Hi Cham,

It really does depend on your Dr.  I had all mine done through the NHS, as my Dr was really good.  However I have known lots of Dr/surgeries refuse to do them.

What clinic are you having your treatment?  As they should be able to do them for you.

Good luck and there is a single ladies thread on here if you need more help.

X


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## Rose39 (Dec 9, 2007)

Hi Cham - unfortunately it's very common for single women to be charged for any fertility treatment, including tests and investigations, unless you have a specific known problem such as endometriosis or PCOS ...the vast majority of the ladies on the single women's board (including me) have paid for our own treatment. Occasionally a GP will go out of their way to help a single woman in terms of doing tests/ paying for IVF drugs, but despite what the newspapers say, most single women don't get any fertility related tests or treatment on the NHS.

In terms of the initial tests, your local GUM clinic can usually do the HIV and other sexual health tests such as chlamydia and Hep B and C for free, but they might charge you a fee to print off the results. 

In terms of the FSH etc. tests that are specific to fertility, once you refer yourself to a clinic then they can do these for you (for a fee). As has already been mentioned, the results are usually back much more quickly than if you went via your GP. 

You don't have to wait for your GP to refer you to a fertility clinic - most clinics will treat single women without a referral (except for ARGC which I believe doesn't treat single women at all). 

You'd be welcome to join us on the singlies board - there are additional things to think through if you're having IVF as a single woman, and there is lots of advice/ support available from those of us who have gone through it. 

Rose xx


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## Passenger42 (Jan 27, 2010)

If the doctor has agreed to the tests, then you should stand your ground and argue your corner with the Practice Manager.  They are cutting back so much it is so annoying to find that what you had for free previously you now have to pay for.  Its not your problem that he was new and might of made a mistake, he offered you the tests so they should go with this.


My surgery tried to charge me for my blood tests for HIV etc however I had been given them free the previous year and I argued with the Manager and got them for free in the end.


At the beginning of my investigations my GP referred me to a Consultant as I used my BUPA health insurance for my initial investigations (they will only cover you for investigatory tests) but it saved me a lot of time.  You might also find its worth looking at Groupon and similar sites as they sometimes offer Harley St fertility assessments at discounted special rates.  Or ring around a few clinics and see if they will do you a package price.


P x


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## Cham (Nov 12, 2012)

Good morning ladies,

Thanks alot for info.I should have been with your forum before i start all these.I agree with all what you all mentioned here. What happened was I got a list of tests from ARGC and asked a referral and tests from GP who agreed and arranged with out a word about any payment. Blood tests were ok but when i went to nurse for swabs she made this comment" you may have to pay.. bla bla." I have an appt with GP again next week (different one this time as previous one has finished her appointment there) so have to wait and see what they would say.
ARGC application form indicated to me to get tests from GP and signed by them, having said that it also mentioned if i am unable to to get tests they too can arrange. However when i checked ARGC fee schedule i could not find all the tests init, so i assumed that it may not be normal for them to do instead should be done by gp. 

Girl nextdoor- so thats true its all most a month now.But i think it was better to be bit late as now I got opportunity to find more important info such as start on fertility supplements etc.

staceysm- I have two in mind ARGC and serum which i keep weighing pros and cons. ARGC- easy traveling for me, but expensive, believe they have all quality new lab set up. which may be crucial for IVF. Serum one lady in this forum gave me lots of info which i did not know before, but traveling is a issue, and not that expensive as ARGC, believe they too have quality facilities in the lab.

Rose39- Thats exactly I learnt now, I agree 100%, as i mentioned issue is my initial choice ARGC. I called them and asked whether they treat single female with donner sperm , they said yes but i have to arrange sperm. So they must have change the policy now. Reg GP, I feel bit hurt and rejected when nurse mentioned it. Basically to feel i was not worth for them to do tests such a feeling. May be I am been bit silly to feel like that.

Passenger42,- I rang few clinics, but they do not do only investigations for me to carry somewhere else. they start from initial consultation up wards. Any way I was mislead by ARGC application as it indicated to me as if normal procedure is for GP to do those and refer to them. May be it is correct if i was younger having fertility troubles. 

So thank you for ideas, i will see what happen next with GP and respond accordingly. leasons learnt daily Ha Ha ha...

X Cham


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## Rose39 (Dec 9, 2007)

Cham - that's great news if ARGC are now treating single women.... it was really frustrating that one of the best clinics in the country was not accessible for us. Serum also gets excellent feedback and costs are cheaper (and they have a good history of treating single women - we have several single mummies with Serum babies on the singlies board). It's probably worth budgeting for at least 3 cycles of IVF - some ladies are lucky and it works first time, but as you can see from my profile, it took 10 cycles of treatment and a move to donor eggs before it worked, and once you are in your forties it typically takes longer for success, and it may need a move to donor eggs/ embryos .... some clinics offer 3 cycle IVF packages that work out cheaper overall and Serum does a donor egg IVF and donor embryo programme that is very popular.

Re: your GP, it's nothing to do you with you personally hun, most PCTs are now very strict in the criteria they will use as to whether they will cover the cost of fertility investigation/ treatment - I believe that some are not offering IVF at all now due to limited budgets. Typically your PCT will only start doing fertility investigations if you have been actively trying to get pregnant for a year if you are under 35 or for 6 months if you are over 35, which then rules out single women by default. When I asked my GP for tests initially, he said no and to go to the chemist and buy an ovulation test and that was all that was necessary! (I ended up changing GP practice as they were so unhelpful). ARGC's processes for getting the initial tests done probably assume that your GP will do them without realising that as a single woman it's unlikely. 

One of the things about doing IVF as a single woman is that you have to develop a very thick skin as people will say hurtful things without realising it - and you may also come across people who are judgmental about a single woman choosing to have a baby without a partner (most of us have encountered this at some point - a longstanding friend told me that what I was doing was weird)... but these are their issues, not ours and it's a tiny price to pay when you have your gorgeous baby.

Rose xx


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