# IVF treatment on the NHS



## Gratitude (Dec 15, 2008)

Hello all,

I want to go for the IVF treatment and have an anonymous donor via NHS treratment in London. Can anyone share any experiences on which hospitals are gay friendly and offer a good quality service?
This is a new avenue for me and would appreciate any feed back.

Thanks!

Pham


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

Have you got an NHS funded/paid for cycle because if so well done, as I don't think m/any of the FF girls on here have managed to get NHS funded treatment most have had to pay themselves, and therefore you can go to any clinic.  If you are asking about getting funding you have to start off at your GP and ask them to refer you and then the PCT will decide if they will fund you and you meet their criteria, and this is the stumbling block for most people, but if they do fund you there is not often a choice in clinics on the NHS, or a choice between two, as the PCT will have a contract with their provider clinics. 

Clinics should not be able to turn people away for being LGBT, but not all clinics have sperm available.

Off the top of my head NHS gay friendly clinics (ie clinics where single/gay women have had treatment include Guy's, Barts, the Homerton not sure if people have used other NHS hospitals

Private clinics include London Women's Clinic, the Bridge, the Lister

Good Luck but if you are at the very start then your GP will he helpful.


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## rosypie (Feb 1, 2007)

i know a couple who were referred to kings but i can't remember if they part-funded or not...


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## Gratitude (Dec 15, 2008)

I think NHS offer part funding but not certain.
I haven't been offered any funding just at the stage of getting a referral from my pct. I was turned down by guy's due to lack of sperm samples. Does anyone know of hospitals in London which can be recommended which offer NHS treatment?


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## rosypie (Feb 1, 2007)

kings and the homerton are 2 i've heard good things about and they both offer nhs treatment (you have to be referred by your own gp/pct though since it's them that foots the bill. i think there are long waits for sperm at both those hospitals though. the only way you can avoid a delay is by shipping your own in (which the clinic will help you with but it will cost you) or by going to a private clinic which ready access to sperm. lwc has always been very good since they have their own sperm bank.


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## dyketastic (Nov 21, 2008)

Hi Pham

The Homerton are well known for being gay griendly and although they have a policy of funding 3 IVF cycles you do not qualify for funding if you use Donor Sperm (known or unknown) We are staying with the Homerton and are importing sperm from the Europeanspermbank.com and are self funding

The non funding for people using donor sperm is a part of a policy for every PCT in North East london.  We are trying to appeal but don't think it will happen so have budgeted to pay!!

Good luck


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

Dyketastic would the PCT fund a straight couple needing DS for male factor? if so the PCT therefore are discriminating against lesbain and single women (Single women don't get any funding). It is so wrong.
L x


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## dyketastic (Nov 21, 2008)

Hi Pham

Thats the first question i asked and the answer is No!  They will not fund any treatment needing donor sperm although i suspect that  more straight couples probably get funding on appeal as when i spoke with the head of the panel that made this decison and asked him what would be grounds for appeal he said a couple with a zero spem count, which technically my partner does have a zero sperm count!!!!! 

We have heard through the grapevine that they will be discussing changing this criteria but nobody seems to know when and we dont want to wait

There is also a list of general criteria, including BMI and age etc

What part of london are you in?


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## Gratitude (Dec 15, 2008)

North London, 30's  and pretty healthy. Does it make a difference to my treatment?


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## Gratitude (Dec 15, 2008)

Thanks for the advice, seems as though LWC is a popular options. Sure it'll cost a fortune. Anyway taken this route?


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## ♥JJ1♥ (Feb 11, 2006)

it may make a difference to the cost of your drugs if you are buying them, and also your fertility take a decline at 35,38 and 40. You could ask your GP to do some simple tests (they don't have to do them free and if not you will have to go to a private clinic if GP refuses) and get FSH, LH, oestrodial and prolactin measured on cd 1-3 and a progesterone on cd 21 and see a baseline of your fertility hormones and if you are ovulating naturally.

I see that you have decided to go to LWC good luck- my friend got her baby from there! There are some of the girls on the singles thread using them as well

L x


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## leoaimee (Jun 3, 2008)

hi pham - we got our bfp at LWC and i would really rate them, although its not cheap!

this is what i wrote on another thread about LWC

_
we were treated this year and i would rate them really well. 8/10 ! and i would recomend them. i would say that the only place the let me down was sometimes being a bit too busy to properly respond to emails and phone calls in time. which was frustrating. but i would say that i had excellent treatment from both consultants that i saw, all the nurses, the andrology department, the receptionists. for me coming to a really nice looking place really helped me. i felt like it was a pleasant experience to be there. 
_

i got all my tests done prior to our first consultation and i had them done in spain which is cheaper. i would definately try and get your gp to do them or look around to see if there is any where cheaper.

ax


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