# nhs waiting lists



## fowler (Mar 9, 2005)

HI Girls
          Sorry Just feel like a rant so bear with me..... I assumed after one of my consultations in Jan 2005 that my name had been placed on the nhs waiting list for IVF.  I've already paid for one private treatment and have had 2 unsuccessful nhs IUI appointments.  My faith in IUI is dwindling so I queried where I was on the IVF waiting list, to my horror they told me my name was not on the list and as a result I was only referred yesterday and there is a year long waiting list.  I am so upset and annoyed, was it my mistake by assuming I was on th list or is it the hospital's fault. I cant even be bothered to investigate this as they will never admit it was their fault if it was.  Sorry I know nothing can be done about this and I should not be stressing myself out unnecessarily but I'm so annoyed and upset I needed to have a little moan.


----------



## Nicola1981 (Sep 4, 2004)

Hi Fowler,

The same thing happened to me and i only found out by ringing to see where i was on the list aswell. Talk about a kick in the stomach. I was so angry. It was about 2.5 years ago i was told i was on the list however there was a change in legislation which meant i was not on the list because i hadnt had my first consultation with the clinic yet. 
Luckily i managed to sort things out by constantly nagging my gynae but i now get a 2nd opinion for everything because i never believe what im told first of all. To top it off the clinic i was referred to also changed during this time which meant i had waited 14 months to see a doctor for no need as my local clinic were now responsible for me - another thing i would never had found out unless i rung around!

Your not from South Wales by any chance are you lol??

Nic


----------



## fowler (Mar 9, 2005)

Hi Nicola,
                You Guessed well I'm with Singleton and am even more annoyed to find out I'm not the only one.  I think I might actually write a letter of complaint. Have you heard when your treatment is


----------



## Nicola1981 (Sep 4, 2004)

Hi Fowler,

Yes i now know im having my IVF next April but im sure if things were done properly i would have had it by now. In Jan 05 i was told by my gynae in Singleton that i was on the list for ivf. I then received a letter from Cardiff saying that i would have a consultation in approx 12 months. I rung them a few months later to enquire about my treatment saying i was having my consultation in Jan 06 but when would my treatment be - they told me i werent even on the list   I was so annoyed coz they said i wouldnt go on the list til after my first appt and i could expect another 2 years on top of that!! 
I didnt think there was any point complaining at that point so i just waited for my appt and was then told i was on the list in Cardiff. I asked the doc in Cardiff could i go to Swansea for my treatment as they had recently changed to taking nhs patients aswell but she said that i had to go to Cardiff.

That was in April this year but i wasnt satisfied about waiting another 2 years so i rung the cromwell to enquire about going private and during the conversation told the nurse that i had just gone on the list with Cardiff. She asked me why my gynae in Singelton didnt refer me to the Cromwell and then realised it was because i was referred before they started taking nhs patients so i would have had to gone to Cardiff however as they now took nhs i could just ask my gynae to get referred there and their list was only a year.

I had a nightmare just getting this done because i had to ring my gynae and ask her to send a referral letter to the Cromwell for me asap as the sooner they had the letter the quicker i went on the list. They eventually sent a letter after a few weeks but it was referring me for private treatment not nhs!! Luckily the nurse in the Cromwell knew that i needed nhs treatment so accepted the letter and i was on the list, waiting for 1 more year only. I also had to ring cardiff for them to take me off their list before Swansea could put me on theirs. It seemed like every day i had to ring somewhere and chase something up mainly with my gynae.

The nurses in Cromwell have been excellent so far and have been really understanding as they realise i could probably have had treatment alot quicker if Singleton sorted themselves out. My appts in Singleton have been cancelled over and over again and im lucky that i dont have to go there again as i would probably say something about their appauling treatment of patients. i know another couple that have had disgusting treatment by them too.

I think you should write a letter of complaint definately as i know how i felt when i realised, surely they can look thro their list of people they have referred to Cardiff and just tell them that they can now go to Swansea and wait for 1 year instead of 3. It only involves writing a letter to the Cromwell.
I still get angry thinking about the way i was treated and it wasnt just during this instance there have been many other problems i have encountered with Singleton in the past few years. I just feel now that i can finally see light at the end of the tunnel and want to put all that behind me.

Is this what happened to you - refd to Cardiff then told Swansea could take you and treat you in half the time??

Hope you get something sorted from this
take care
Nic


----------



## ritzi (Feb 18, 2006)

hi both 
i too am from south wales and involved in this mess.

i was put on the jan 2003! thought i was on it before that but turned out i wasn't  when i clarified i was on the list told just to wait till 2006.

dec 2005 i had a letter saying i'm not going to get tx before the 3 year wait finishes(CARU) and did i want to go to another clinic? i had to choose to wait for CARU (another 6 months minimum) or go to bristol, swansea or shrewsbury. 
i decided on swansea and started my tx january 2006. 

what a palaver! i also was offered 2 tx then almost at the top of the list had a letter saying sorry you only get 1 now cos the funding has changed  petitioned etc to no avail so now have private treatment. 

with hindsight i wish i just got on with the private tx years ago! sorry to hear this stuff is still going on 

ritz.


----------



## fowler (Mar 9, 2005)

Hello
      After hearing all your replies I was even more mad and as a result I wrote a letter of complaint.  I don't think this will help my case but it made me feel better.  Even more annoying I have been told the waiting list is a year and if the hospital had got things right I would be having my treatment now.
I will let you know if anything develops From my letter.  Good luck on your journeys girls hope to hear some good news from you soon xx


----------



## wishing4miracle (Sep 7, 2006)

hello,
any ladies from the south on here?if so how did you get on a waiting list?when we had an app with hosp they said we couldnt go on a list because we are too young           how did you younger ladies get on a list?im from hampshire,and we are both 24


----------



## Nicola1981 (Sep 4, 2004)

Hi wishing4miracle,

When i was told i was going on the list the first time i was only 22 at the time and my gynae said i shouldnt really be on the list because of my age however she then said that because we hadnt used contraception for such a long time we would be ok. I came off the pill injection when i was 16 and had always had problems so have never used contraception with DH as we knew we would probably need some sort of treatment later on.

Hope this helps
Nicola


----------



## kitykat (Sep 21, 2006)

Dear Wishing for a miracle,

The Hampshire and IOW strategic Health authority have a policy that no IVF before 36!! yes 36 years of age. Write to complain as you have a very long time to wait. I'm 32 and just written to complain. The healther authority has merged to form NHS South Central STA in the last month, but I doubt that anything wil change. This lottery is so unfair.

Love from Kitykat
XXX


----------



## babs68 (Oct 13, 2006)

Hi everyone
first time to site but wanted to share my experience with you.  After TTC for 8 months (at the age of 37), I had my first appointment with the Gynae. Cons. (Feb '05). Unfortunately he was attending to an emergency and I was seen by his Registrar.  Given my medical history, it was always unlikely that I would conceive naturally, so I asked the Registrar about being put on the IVF waiting list.  He told me that his NHS Trust's IVF waiting list was 3 years, and therefore "would be too old by that time".  Not able to afford private IVF, we have since been through all kinds of test, including usual bloods (FSH a bit up and down), together with a dye test and a couple of months ago, a lap.  At the follow-up appointment with the Consultant (not his Reg. this time), he asked me whether I'd thought about IVF.  I said that yes, but couldn't afford it.  He then suggested getting it on the NHS, and I told him what his Registrar had said.  Apparently, this had been wrong, and the wait was two years, and therefore I would have been eligible for IVF wait!!!  After pleading my case with him, he agreed to put me on the waiting list where I woiuld have been, and I was really happy.  Until last week.  I received a letter from same Consultant saying that the Primary Care Trust had refused funding because I had moved house a few months before to over their boundary line.  Now in dispute with the PCT, and really hpoing it can all be sorted out.  Besides, some of that treatment was given to me after I'd moved house......
Hope things get sorted out for everyone.......


----------

